The Sound of Your Voice is Soothing
by Lindoreda
Summary: Sequel to Twisted Sister. Roxas realizes that he doesn't know that much about Axel, and comes up with a solution to that problem. However, the present starts intervening in their exploration of the past. AU, Akuroku, secret side pairs.
1. Goodbye to you

Authors Note: Ta dah! The sequel to Twisted Sister is born! Updates of this story may be less frequent, since school, and the glory of standardized tests approach. Ah, senior year… But I digress. This story is definitely Akuroku, but there will be other pairings. They are secrets, though. :) Oh, and contrary to my previous statement, Lime is likely in this story. I gotta get over that at some point… Oh, so I'll use – at the top and bottom of a flashback to separate it from the rest of the story.

Disclaimer: I own darling Aimi and the plot of this story. The rest belongs to other people. Not me.

Warnings: Swearing, boy love. Well, not yet really, but… for the whole story.

--

"My friends are my power."

Roxas's PoV

When all this began, it was mid-June. Axel and I had been dating for three months, and school had let out for the summer. We were taking a well-deserved vacation in Twilight Town. You see; it came up one day at lunch that none of us had ever left Hollow Bastion. So, during the last week of school, Demyx brought a map, and spread it out on the lunch table (we thought there was no point in keeping our friends separate. It would cause more problems than it solved. They get along okay, too.). On that particular day, because they knew we were planning a trip, Aimi, Naminé, their friend Kairi (I'll explain how Kairi comes into this later) and Sora (who is also friends with Kairi), as well as Reno and Cloud (who refused to be left behind while their siblings went on a trip), were with us that day. Naminé pointed out Twilight Town on the map, and so that's why we came. On the particular day that it (again, you'll understand later) happened, Hayner, Demyx and Sora were checking out music stores, Zexion and Naminé were doing the same with bookstores, and Aimi, Kairi, Olette, Pence, Reno and Cloud were going to Sunset Hill (Reno and Cloud as "escorts"). What were Axel and I doing? Sorry to get your hopes up, but it's appropriate for all ages. We were eating sea salt ice cream on top of the clock tower, watching the sunset. The only problem was that something was bothering me.

"Axel?"

He was instantly attentive, his ice cream forgotten. Sometimes I wonder who's really in control here.

"Something wrong, Rox?"

"It's just that, we've known each other for nine months, but we don't really know that much about each other, ya know?"

His eyebrows shot up. He must've been thinking about it too.

"Do you have a better way in mind for us to get to know each other?"

I nodded. What would the point be in bringing up the problem if I had no solution in mind?

"We know the stuff on the outside; likes, dislikes, etc. But we know nothing about who the other was before we met. We know nothing about the reasons why the other is who they are today. Naminé says that knowing the reasons why can make you appreciate something that you couldn't before that. My idea is that we relate a period of our lives to each other on each date, taking turns talking and listening."

Axel looked a little uncomfortable. Well, I was asking him to bare his soul.

"Wouldn't you find that boring, though?"

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I thought it would be boring. But if you're afraid that I'll laugh at your misfortune…"

"No! No. I know you wouldn't do that. But, uh, since you suggested it, how about you start?"

I stuck out my tongue, and fell into my narrative. It was close to six years ago that things changed for us...

-

"Cloud! Roxas! Naminé!"

Our mother called us into the living, looking anxious.

"Your father and I have an announcement to make. We have been reassigned to Atlantica for work. On Monday, we will be moving there."

Naminé's eyes were wide and scared.

"Just… you?"

Our mother nodded.

"We thought it would be wrong to uproot you three from the only city and friends that you've ever known. So, you'll be moving in with your aunt and uncle Hikari."

Naminé, Cloud and I all spoke at the same time.

"And cousin Sora?"

Again she nodded.

"Everyone agrees that it's for the best. Especially since Sora's best friend moved to the Destiny Islands."

Sora and Riku were neighbors and best friends since Sora's birth. Last year, Riku's family moved away. Sora cried for days. That's when Naminé introduced Sora to her best friend Kairi. He's been a lot better since then. Kairi seems to have that effect on people (it was only a matter of course that Nami introduced her to Aimi, and they became friends). Anyway, none of us really minded living with Sora. Naminé and I were close to him, and Cloud wanted to protect him. The only bad part of the arrangement was the indefinite separation from our parents.

It was a Friday afternoon when they told us, and we were moved in with the Hikari's on Sunday. Cloud and Sora shared a room, while Naminé and I each got our own. I could have shared with Sora, but Cloud said that I would appreciate having my own room later on. We didn't see our parents again until Christmas.

Anyway, after we had parted with our parents, I went to meet Hayner, Pence and Olette. I had promised to hang out with them after we were settled in, since moving had caused me to cancel our Saturday plans. Hayner, Pence, Olette and I met in preschool. I think it was Seifer who brought us together. He was picking on Pence, and the rest of us all went to his defense. We've been together ever since. It was similar experience for Kairi and Naminé. A common cause brought them together, and they just connected from there.

So, once I had the chance to explain the situation to them, Hayner was angry with my parent's boss, Olette was sympathetic, and Pence was just glad that we weren't leaving Hollow Bastion. Me? I don't know how I felt. I was just numb. I think I was just overwhelmed. I couldn't yell or cry like Cloud and Naminé respectively. Sometimes, I just sat and stared at the wall. I felt empty and alone, when I could even feel at all. Then one day, Sora tapped me on the shoulder while I was staring at the wall.

"Roxas, let's play the new Mega Crash Brothers."

I nodded, already feeling less numb.

"Sure Sora, if you'll let me be Chain."

He grinned and nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure! Let's go!"

I don't know what was different that day. I just felt better. I let Sora have the last piece of pizza at dinner that night.

-

"Wow Rox. Do you still see your parents?"

"They still visit on holidays. It's not that bad, though. I just have to remember that they could have taken us to Atlantica, and away from everything that we knew."

I felt good telling Axel this. I hadn't really talked about it that way before. Before I knew it, the last bit of emptiness faded away. Axel grinned and ruffled my hair.

"That's definitely a good thing. If they'd taken you away, we wouldn't have met! I don't like to think of life without my Roxy."

I grinned back at him.

"You don't have to think about that. We should probably get back to the hotel now."

Axel glanced at his watch, yelped and jumped up.

"We're late! The sun set an hour ago! We gotta haul ass!"

I smiled as Axel I fled the clock tower. I wondered, what would I learn about Axel?

--

AN: Yay! I really like this chapter. :) Do you? Please review! Oh, and who is Chain, you ask? What is a chain made up of? Bad joke, I know. Next chapter is Axel!


	2. The Children of the Revolution

Author's note: Woo! Axel's first chapter! Axel's past, I find, gives me a lot more material than Roxas's. But, we'll see what happens. Thanks to RecklessxDreamer, Niffstral, and missRAWR for reviewing.

Disclaimer: Aimi and the plot are mine. The rest aren't.

Warnings: Swearing, boy love, possibly mature themes. You be the judge.

--

"Now you can tell me I don't respect my elders."

Axel's PoV

Two days passed before Roxas and I were able to be alone together. Surprisingly, that was fine by me. I needed time to think about what I would tell him, when the time came. Given the opportunity, I could spend days on this part, but neither of us would be the better for it. When I was ready, I took Roxas to Sunset Hill, while Aimi, Naminé, Kairi and Olette were at an art exhibit, Hayner, Pence, Sora, Demyx and Zexion were at the Sandlot for a Struggle tournament, and Cloud and Reno were looking at motorcycles. I knew we'd have hours to talk before we were missed.

So, we arrived at Sunset Hill just before sunset, and sat down on a bench. Roxas looked up (ha ha, he's so short) at me expectantly.

"So, are you ready to talk, or is my life story just that fascinating?"

"I'm ready. I just needed some time to figure out what I could say. Some things are better left unsaid."

"Naminé says that too. So I won't be offended by a decision to leave something out."

Roxas is so cute when he's respecting my decisions… Geez, I'm easy to please, huh?

"Thanks Rox. I'm going back to a time so distant, it starts before I was born. It was more than 17 years ago…"

-

Our mom was 21 when Reno was born. Our dad was 23. Needless to say, they weren't really ready. Especially for the children that they got. As soon as Reno was able, he hit things with sticks. It was a compulsive thing. 11 months after Reno was born (they just don't learn), I was born. I was an absolute terror. I was always trying to get inside the oven, or touch the burners while they were on, or things like that. I ran them ragged, basically. Then, once we got old enough, Reno and I would fight all the time, but that'll come up again later.

11 months after me (I mean, I'm sure the link between sex and pregnancy has been proven and publicized), Aimi was born. Our parents, who had previously given up hope for Reno and I, suddenly had hope again. Not only did they think that a girl would be easier, but they also thought that being big brothers to a little sister would make Reno and I more manageable. By the time that little plan worked, they were well past the point of caring. As for the first part, Aimi certainly seemed easier. There was one problem, though. She didn't speak. Not one word for three years. The doctors had no idea what the problem was. After trying everything that they could think of, our parents despaired.

Then, on her third birthday, things changed. As I told Aimi to make a wish, she smiled and spoke.

"Thanks, Axel."

And she blew out the candles, getting all of them in one blow (no boyfriends for her!). Our parents were in shock. And me, who her first words were to? I was just happy. It was a moment that I can't ever forget. For a time, our parents' hope was rekindled. After being reviewed by a child psychologist, it was found that Aimi had been observing the world around her, so that her first attempts at speech would be coherent, if delayed. When it comes to Aimi, that hasn't really changed. She doesn't make much of an impression on people because she prefers observation to speech. I can't say that I understand it, but her skills in that department are quite useful. After that, Aimi would watch Reno and I fight, and in the middle of a fight, she'd say, "Axel will win" or "Reno will win". She could tell which one of us was tiring, because she'd watched us fight since babyhood. I think she scared out parents out of further children. I should thank her for discouraging those fuckers.

So, once Aimi began speaking, I "took her under my protection", so to speak. I started to act like a proper big brother, really. It wasn't a bad decision. Her preference of observing to participating earned her few friends. That was when our parents decided that she should get a hobby or a skill. She was four when she started taking piano lessons. She took to it, and is one of those few people who sticks with the lessons and keeps playing the instrument (some say it's her only skill, the bastards). It didn't help her out in preschool or elementary school, though. She just became the weird quiet girl who plays piano a lot. I beat up a lot of people. No joke. Our parents were called in frequently. But did I actually get in trouble? Let's look at the facts. I was protecting my little sister. I wasn't the one having stick fights with anyone who was stupid enough (no, that was Reno's behavior problem).

Our parents, at this point, gave up. Reno had sticks, I had fire, and Aimi had her desires to observe and play piano. We were all fixated on something, without any hope of respite. From our parent's perspective, Reno and I were irrevocably violent, and Aimi would never function in society. If they had seen what was really there, maybe they wouldn't have given up. But their hearts were weak, and their eyes wouldn't see. So, on Aimi's 12th birthday (the bastards), everything changed. I think it was for the best. You can be the judge, though.

After the fact, we realized that Reno being clumsy was a sign that the apocalypse was nigh. Let's go over this bit-by-bit. First, there was a crash. Heading to the source, we found Reno and a broken mirror. Our mother sighed a long-suffering sigh.

"Clean it up, Reno. If there's cake left when you're done, you can have some then."

Yeah, that's right. She said "if". Aimi took that as a challenge, and refused to eat any more of her own birthday cake. I followed her example, which exasperated our father. Serves him right. When Reno rejoined us, our mother cleared her throat.

"Reno, Axel, Aimi, we have something important to tell you three. Your father and I have been promoted to positions within the company that require us to be almost constantly away from home. We will continue to pay rent on this apartment, as well as utilities, Internet access and cable. We will send you money for food, as well as for other needs. The three of you will have to take care of each other from now on."

Aimi cried. I'm pretty sure that was her worst birthday ever. I felt heat rushing through my body, and I almost felt like, if I tried, I could summon flames to my fingertips. Oh, and Reno? This whole thing made him (and the rest of us) just a little bit superstitious. It wasn't long before we realized that none of us knew how to shop for food, so Reno ended up getting a job so that we'd have money to get more food, in case we failed a shopping trip, and wasted what little we were sent.

-

Roxas looked perplexed.

"Your parents weren't very tactful about leaving. I mean, neither were mine, but there was a least an upside."

"I'm sure it was a struggle for them not to jump for joy. After all, they were finally free of their insane asylum-worthy children."

"Axel, I'm sure that's not…"

"Roxas, please. I'm past the point of being able to credit them with human feeling. Please don't defend them."

"Sorry… You just look so hurt."

What? But I'm not. It was always Aimi that was hurt. And I was angry because they hurt her. I was never bothered for my own sake… was I?

"Axel? Are you mad at me?"

"What? No, of course not, Rox. I just realized something. The only people I'm mad at are my parents."

--

AN: This chapter came out shorter than I expected, so I added a bit more content. I wasn't quite happy with the ending of the chapter, so I tweaked it, and I like what came out much more. You like? Reviews make me do dances in my chair, so review!


	3. Lady Marmalade

Author's note: Woo! Chapter 3, and a return to Roxas. The flashback in this chapter is considerably lighter than the last one. I don't like Roxas being unhappy, so he only gets one really sad flashback. I think. Thanks to Niffstral for reviewing chapter 2. :)

Disclaimer: We've been over this. I own Aimi and the plot, and no more.

Warnings: swearing, boy love

--

"Another dream about him…"

Roxas's PoV

Axel was touchy about his parents (not that that doesn't make sense), so I let the subject drop, and waited. The very next night, we were on top of the clock tower again. Cloud was escorting the girls and Demyx on a shopping trip, and Reno was doing the same for everyone else at a local Blitzball match. You may think that we weren't mixing with the group, but that's not true. How do you think we spent the hours between sunrise and sunset?

Anyway, we were on the clock tower, and I wondered if maybe my idea had been a bad one. Talking had made me feel a bit better, but Axel… I hadn't seen him get mad since before we were going out, but that wasn't an incident that I wanted repeated. So, I was cautious.

"Axel? Do you want us to stop this? If it's too much for you, we don't have to continue."

He shook his head violently.

"No! I like hearing about you, it's just my part that I don't like. I get the memories of Aimi crying in my head, and it seems like it was only yesterday that they left."

"But you want us to continue."

He nodded, his spiky hair bouncing up and down.

"Yeah. I gotta suck it up. Otherwise, how am I supposed to take care of you?"

"Axel, you don't have to take care of-"

My voice was cut off by Axel sealing our mouths together. It was mostly a chaste kiss, if you ignored Axel's probing tongue against my lips. I couldn't. Then he pulled away (bastard).

"I do have to take care of you, Rox. You're so small and cute that someone could snatch you if I wasn't looking. Now, why don't you start?"

Deciding that protesting my need to be protected was fighting a losing battle, I thought back to another major turning point in my life. It was close to four years ago…

-

My first day of middle school was when it all began. Naminé, Cloud and I came by bus. When we arrived, Naminé ran off to find Kairi, and Cloud left to find Tifa, Aerith and Yuffie (yeah, his friends are all girls). I guess they expected me to look for my friends too, but we'd agreed to meet up at lunch, where there'd be less people and less ground to cover. So, I wandered around the grounds a bit, until I came upon an unusual sight.

There was a girl sitting under a large tree, reading what I can only assume was a gay romance novel. The cover made that pretty obvious. That wasn't the weird part. What was weird was that all the nearby bushes were full of boys, who were staring at the girl. There was a person sitting next to her, and though I could only see their arm, I'm guessing that that person was the reason why they wouldn't approach.

I took a moment to appraise the girl that these guys were staring at. I'm not going to describe her very well, because she'd probably prefer that no one knew about this. She was pretty, but she wasn't really beautiful. She made up for that by having striking features that left a lasting impression, but her features were not strikingly feminine. A quick glance at her chest found her to be rather flat. In fact, if you only saw her from the waist up (she was wearing a skirt), and her hair was shorter, she could have been either gender. I think that's why she stuck in my memory.

Anyway, in the course of the next few days, I felt like I was seeing this girl everywhere. Every time I turned around, I would see a flash of color, and think that it was her. I didn't understand it. Did I want to see her, or was it just coincidence? It was after I started having weird dreams that I understood the situation. What drew me to this girl was her androgyny. It was like she was a halfway point between the sexes. But why would I like a halfway point? That was when I realized that I was gay. I liked this girl because she could be a boy, but I hadn't been ready to face it before.

That night at home, Naminé looked at me for a moment, and spoke.

"You're gay, aren't you, Roxas?"

"How'd you know?"

"It's written all over your face in a language only I can read. Did you just figure it out?"

"Earlier today, yeah."

She smiled encouragingly and went back to drawing. That night, I told everyone at dinner. Cloud's bi, so he just ruffled my hair and went to meet his friends. Sora looked like he'd missed the point of the conversation, so he clearly wasn't bothered. As for our aunt and uncle, they think Sora's gay (though no one knows for sure), so they just shrugged it off.

The next day, I told Hayner, Pence and Olette. Hayner was a little weirded out at first (though he's obviously gotten over it), Pence congratulated me for having realized it, and Olette seemed rather pleased with the idea. So, all in all, it was a pretty successful coming out. No one who mattered to me was freaking out about it, and it gave Hayner an excuse to fight anyone who had a problem with it. I think that's part of why it doesn't bother him anymore.

Maybe it was because I stopped looking, but I didn't see that girl again. It was like I had imagined her or something. But that's impossible. I don't owe my surety about my orientation to a person who doesn't exist…

-

"Wow Rox. You sure have a nice vocabulary. I take it you didn't fail English, unlike a certain other class?"

"Shut up. I didn't fail chemistry. You know that."

I blinked.

"I just realized who that girl was. Hah. So she really does exist. She sure has changed, though."

Axel raised an eyebrow.

"What does she look like? Do I know her? She sounds familiar."

I laughed.

"You know her. But I think she'd prefer it if you didn't know that that was her."

He looked at me with puppy dog eyes, and I felt my resolve weakening.

"Come on Roxy! Please? I'll do anything you want…"

With that last sentence, his voice dropped an octave, and he looked at me with a devious gleam in his eyes. Come on Roxas, hold on to your will power… Axel's face was getting closer, and I knew that I'd be giving in soon enough. But then…

"Axel!"

A foreign voice rang out in the half-light. Well, not foreign. This voice just was new to the conversation. We looked down at the base of the clock tower, and who did we see? The group that went shopping, with Aimi being the speaker. Axel answered her, though he sounded a bit annoyed.

"What's up, sis?"

"Stop weakening Roxas's resolve, and get your asses down here!"

Thanks again, Aimi. I'm sorry that I forgot. You've been helping me for a long time, haven't you?

--

AN: Woo! Yes, that girl was Aimi. Which also means that Aimi was reading a gay romance novel on that day. Is she a yaoi fangirl? You'll see later, probably chapter 5. And yes, Aimi is flatter than all hell. I thought she might appreciate it. Did you enjoy Roxas's coming out? Please review! Chapter 2 was cruelly neglected.


	4. The Innocent

Author's note: Chapter 4! I don't have much to say about this chapter, so enjoy! Thanks to Niffstral and RecklessxDreamer for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, Axel wouldn't have faded away.

Warnings: swearing, boy love.

--

"You are best friends."

Axel's PoV

Before we knew it, it was our last day in Twilight Town. Why is it that time only passes quickly when we want it to slow down? To all of us, going back to Hollow Bastion meant different things. For Cloud and Reno, it meant going back to work, and finding that you actually preferred vacation with your younger siblings and their friends. For Kairi, Naminé, Aimi and Olette (having become fast friends on the trip), it meant going to Hollow Bastion's main bookstore (with Zexy) to pick up the sequel to a (gay) romance novel (one of many) that Aimi cried over. For Demyx, it meant swimming and music practice. For Zexion, it meant driving the girls around, because he has a car and nothing better to do. For Hayner and Pence, long arcade hours would be in order. For Sora, it would be another summer of wishing that he could spend it with Riku. And Roxas and I? More talking. Not that I minded talking with Roxas, but the action to talking ratio was suffering from a serious disparity. I planned on adjusting it. How? What, you think I have a plan?

The evening after our return to Hollow Bastion found Roxas and I in my living room. Aimi was out (you can guess with who), and Reno was working. Roxas hadn't said anything about it, but I knew he was waiting for me to start narrating my life again. There were a few things that I wanted to know first. They were things that I should have asked already. I don't know why I didn't.

"Roxas, before I launch into my fascinating life story, there are a few questions that I'd like to ask."

"Sure Axel. What do you want to know?"

When did Roxas get this obliging? Oh, it must be love!

"What are you thinking about doing for a career?"

Roxas blushed and mumbled something. Ooh, it's embarrassing!

"Sorry? I didn't quite catch that."

"I play Cello. I want to go to college for Cello, and go on to be a concert Cellist. Cloud likes to say that Naminé and I are the art twins."

I patted his spiky head. He's so cute when he's embarrassed!

"That's great, Rox. Sure, you won't have job security, but you also won't be stuck in Bastion. Does anyone else in your family play an instrument?"

"Cloud plays guitar, and Sora does percussion in the school band."

Roxas looked up at me, those big blue eyes locking with my green ones.

"What about you, Axel? What're you going to do when you graduate?"

"Me? Well, I'm not exactly sure. I would like to do something with psychology, so maybe I'll be a shrink or something."

"That's nice. You could help people."

"I guess. If I don't make them worse first. Anyway, second question! I don't know how I didn't know this before, but do you have any pets?"

"Well, Sora has a white cat with black markings that he named Jack, the pumpkin king. And Cloud has a chocobo."

"A chocobo? In the city?"

"Well, he's a dwarf chocobo. He'll never get taller than my knees. He's silver with aqua eyes. Cloud named him Sephiroth. He loves him. He has a sidecar on his motorcycle, Fenrir, for him. However, Sephiroth isn't the nicest chocobo, or the smartest. Next to Cloud, the only person he likes is Sora, because everything loves Sora. Whenever Cloud leaves, Sephiroth walks into the front door until Cloud gets back, or Sora pets him. Lucky for us, he gets along okay with Jack, or there'd be a dead cat and a caged chocobo."

"Weird bird. Why does Sora like him?"

"He looks like a chocobo version of Riku. Do you have any pet, Axel? I haven't seen anything running around…"

"That's because they're all in tanks or cages. I have a betafish named Mr. Cuddlefish, Aimi has a goldfish named Darkness in Zero, because he's black, and Reno has a parrot that calls himself Ansem, the seeker of darkness. We used to have a dog named Shadow that we got from old Maleficent, but the police confiscated him when she got arrested."

Yeah, our pets have weird names. I named Aimi's goldfish that because he's a black fish in clear water. Get it? And the parrot named himself, I swear. Roxas looked unfazed by my weird animals, and seemed ready for another question. I was done, though.

"So Rox, you ready to hear about how I met Dem and Zex?"

"I'm ready when you are."

It was more than 5 years ago…

--

Fifth grade was a stressful year. Why? Because I knew that the next year, I would start middle school, leaving Aimi unprotected. It looked like it was going to be a bad situation all around. No matter how many times I sent Seifer to the hospital, he kept coming back. What would he do to Aimi if I wasn't there?

The answer took the form of two fourth graders in my class (we had one of those grade-mixed classes). They approached me one day during recess. The blond one did most of the talking.

"Hey! You're Axel, right? The one always fighting Seifer?"

I was wary. They were both unknown quantities, with unknown loyalties. Do I sound paranoid enough?

"It depends on who's asking."

"Oh, sorry! I'm Demyx, and this is Zexion. We think it's cool how you fight Seifer, since he picks on your sister for no reason at all. We'd like to help."

I was overwhelmed. A solution to my dreaded problem! But I had to test them first, see if they could actually beat Seifer.

"If you can successfully keep Seifer off Aimi at lunch today, then you can do what you want. And try not to get too badly hurt."

Demyx's smile was broad.

"No prob! You won't regret it!"

Zexion spared me some parting words before following.

"Don't worry."

It was (for lack of a better cliché) the beginning of a beautiful friendship. That day at lunch, Seifer and his gang came after Aimi, as usual. Demyx and Zexion had already introduced themselves to her, and were in position when Seifer arrived. Not even giving him the chance to use his ritual taunt, Zexion and Demyx attacked. Zexion went after Rai with a large book, hitting him in the knees, then the head. Demyx lunged at Seifer like a feral cat, his watery projectiles (water balloons and water pistol) forgotten. Aimi, no longer outnumbered, was able to use her superior height and limb length to keep Fuu at bay.

Needless to say, the trial run was a success. Demyx, Zexion and I quickly became friends, and I graduated without fear. Aimi and Fuu have formed some sort of understanding since then, and Seifer has left her alone, starting last year.

-

Roxas's eyes were huge when I finished.

"Zexion took Rai? With a book?! But he's so…"

"Short? Scrawny? He's scrappy though. Demyx too. You know that scar of Seifer's? Courtesy of Demyx. I suspect a personal grudge on his part. Seifer put his sister Larxene in the hospital for a while."

"Your life really revolved around Aimi, huh?"

"Well, she's not much of a fighter, and she's a target for assholes. Trust me though, the worst is yet to come."

--

AN: Yeah, Sephiroth is a chocobo. I couldn't resist. Reviews brighten my day, sweet readers, so you know what to do!


	5. Listen to your heart

Author's note: Maybe I should wait longer between posting chapters… Hm. Well, I hope RecklessxDreamer enjoys this chapter, since she's the only reviewer of the last chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom hearts, but if I did, Demyx would not be able to turn a fight into a timed challenge.

Warnings: swearing, boy love.

--

"What's with that getup? It's hilarious."

Roxas's PoV

It was fully a week before I continued telling Axel about my past. Why? Like you need to ask. The answer has something to do with Axel. But you knew that, didn't you?

Anyway, every time I'd go to see him, I'd find myself pinned to the nearest surface, with a tongue down my throat. It was a little frightening the first time, since all I saw was a flash of red, and I was down. I might have struggled a little. Once I saw who it was, I got over it. Be honest, would you mind being mauled by Axel after six months of unrequited… something? I didn't think so.

So anyway, it was like this for a week. And every time, someone would walk in on us. Whenever it was Aimi, she'd take a picture with her phone and send it to Naminé, who would then be inspired to draw. Then Aimi would attack whatever surface we're been on with an appropriate cleaning device. When it was Reno, he'd take the sprayer-thing from the sink and start spraying us with water. Then he'd take a picture of that and send it out. I didn't mind (do I sound apathetic enough?) being interrupted (my aunt and uncle didn't know that I was dating anyone, and they'd know if there was a big red mark on my neck. Axel never had enough time, believe it or not). Axel though, was furious. He chased Aimi with his lighter (never caught her), and set Reno's ponytail on fire. He didn't kill Naminé for her drawings, though. Naminé brought them to him, by way of apology, and he really liked them. Especially the ones with fire in them. Now he's commissioning her to make them into paintings (to hang in his room). I don't think she showed him all of her drawings that came of those pictures, though. All the ones she gave him have both of us fully dressed, and in only mildly compromising poses. I saw her drawing someone who was distinctly naked.

At the close of this turbulent week, I went to Axel's apartment, as usual. When I entered, I felt a pair of arms wrap around my shoulders, and a head settle on top of mine. All I could see in my peripheral vision was red, so I assumed it was Axel. I think you know what they say about assumptions.

"G'morning Axel."

"Bzzt! Wrong! Guess again, yo."

"Reno?"

"Correct! You win… nothing!"

"Where's Axel, Reno?"

"He had to step out for a bit, yo. Told me to let you in and pass on the message."

"Why are you hugging me?"

"To mess with him. Make sure to tell him that I invaded your personal bubble, yo."

"Right…"

"By the way, why'd you assume I was Axel? I could'a been some rapist or something."

"If I'd said "Who is it?" Axel would've responded: "Axel, duh. Who else? Is there something you're not telling me?" There's no point in inspiring such a stupid question. Plus, how many people in Hollow Bastion have hair that red?"

"Three. Our family is originally from Halloween Town, though we were born here. Now, I've got work, yo. Make sure to tell Axel."

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders, and I was alone. For about two seconds. Something slammed into me from behind. Guess who.

"Roxy! Roxy, what's wrong? You look kind of down."

Should I say it? Possessive Axel will come out… Eh. It's worth it.

"Reno grabbed me from behind. He made me think that he was you."

Axel stiffened against me, and then ran out the door.

"Reno, you mother fucker! Touch Roxas again, and I'll tear them off!"

Down the hall, I heard faint giggling. How mature. Axel came back, looking a little calmer, though I think he was still seeing red. Ha ha. I sat down on the couch, and he sat next to me, staring straight ahead.

"Talk."

"What?"

"Talk, Roxas. The sound of your voice is soothing."

I had nothing prepared, and I got the feeling that I'd be looking for concealer before I went home. Possessive Axel doesn't go away without having "quality time" with Emotionally Scarred Roxas. Psh. I'm as emotionally scarred as a porcupine's back can be physically scarred. Not that I mind. How could I? We've been over this.

I thought back to a pleasant memory. It wasn't really about me, but it had a special place in my heart. It must've been close to four years ago…

-

Cloud was almost 14 when he made a dinnertime declaration. He wasn't nervous, no. There was no tugging on his turtleneck. He knew what he wanted, and he was determined to have it.

"I'm going to look for a job as soon as I turn 14."

Our aunt, ever watchful, decided to field this one.

"Is there any particular reason why you feel this to be necessary?"

"When I'm old enough to drive, I want to be able to buy a motorcycle. There's also a dwarf chocobo that I've had my eye on. I could do all of his care, so he wouldn't be a burden to you. If I get a job, I could afford to adopt him."

Our aunt and uncle exchanged a look.

"If you handle everything related to your intended expenses, and your grades don't suffer, you may do as you wish, Cloud."

Cloud applied at a number of places. Most thought he was still too young. Squallmart was the only place that would take him. We visited him on his first day of work. Over a white shirt and jeans, he wore a blue vest, bearing a nametag (Hi my name is Cloud, how can I help you?), and the Squallmart logo (a smiley face, except it's not smiling. The mouth is a straight line. They call it the apathetic face.). I laughed hysterically. Naminé giggled quietly, and Sora had his fist in his mouth, trying to muffle his laughter. Cloud looked stormy (oh, I'm awful). That was when Tifa, Aerith and Yuffie walked in, and he ran for cover. Yuffie had her camera with her, which Cloud knew to be a sign of doomsday.

After a few months, Cloud adopted Sephiroth. On his sixteenth birthday, Cloud bought Fenrir. Cloud told me that he really couldn't regret starting to work so early. It gave him the things he wanted, a coworker that he only hated ¾ of the time, and a negative opinion of said coworker's little sister. Cloud was happy. When he rode Fenrir for the first time, do you know what he did? He smiled.

-

"Gee Rox, that wasn't really about you at all."

"I wasn't done. Cloud used some of his paycheck to buy me a new skateboard when my old one got run over by a car."

"That's…"

"Shut up. You wanted me to talk, and I did. I just wasn't prepared to get caught up in my past, so I pulled out the first thing I could think of."

"This was your idea, remember?"

"I don't mind getting caught up in your past."

"That sounds like a challenge. Up for making beautiful memories?"

"Try not to leave a mark?"

"No promises. Aimi and Reno won't be back for hours.'

"Axxxeeeeelll…."

Whining. I'm so mature.

"Rox, I'm like fire. You always know if a fire's been through recently."

Damn.

--

AN: This chapter gave me a lot of trouble. But it was important. It's where the title comes in! The next chapter is going to be veeeerrrry different, so be prepared. And please, please review. As much as I love RecklessxDreamer and Niffstral (and I do, please be assured), I'd like to hear from some of the rest of you. I've enabled anonymous reviews, so you guests out there can share your opinions too. Please do.


	6. True to Your Heart

Author's note: Chapter 6, and we're changing gears. This is the beginning of a side story, and also a transition for the main one. This chapter is not from Axel or Roxas's perspectives, though I considered Demyx's. In the end, I picked someone else. I hope all of you have read Twisted Sister. It's pretty short, so check it out if you haven't. Thanks to RecklessxDreamer, Xyal, Beehive, Faeries-Landing, and Niffstral for reviewing. You made my morning when I woke up and saw all these reviews in my inbox.

Disclaimer: I own Aimi. She tried to buy Kingdom Hearts. But I wrote her to not have any money of her own, so that didn't work out.

Warnings: Swearing, boy love, and a bloodthirsty drama llama.

--

"He was the only one I liked."

Aimi's PoV

I'm not like Axel. I don't hate water and all of its forms (and that includes ice). In fact, there are few things that I enjoy more than a long, hot shower. The way the hot water pours down my moist skin, cleaning away the grime… Creepy enough for ya? Well, I think it's pretty clear that I like my showers. I think it's also clear that I don't appreciate being interrupted in the middle of one. But alas. Fate is a scheming bitch, not unlike myself. She doesn't care for imitators.

When I heard faint music from the living room, I knew that Demyx was here, and he was either waiting for Axel, or he wanted to talk to me. When the music continued, I knew Axel wasn't home. When the music got louder, I knew that Demyx was here to see me, and I'd have to cut my shower short. He would pay for this indignity.

There was a knock on the door. Ugh.

"Who is it?"

"It's Demyx."

"Just a minute."

I reluctantly turned off the water, stepped out of the shower, and wrapped a towel around myself. Axel would kill me if he saw this. Then I opened the door.

"What do you want, Demy?"

His green eyes were wide, and he seemed determined to keep them on my face. Good boy.

"I wanted to talk to you about something. I need advice."

It must be about Axel or Zexion. He _always_ comes to me if it's related to his friends. He doesn't like to play favorites with them, by talking to one about the other. Why can't he ask the Internet for help? There're tons of people with nothing better to do on there!

"Lemme get dressed first, 'kay? Then I'll meet you in the living room."

He nodded hurriedly and fled. I sighed, closed the door, and looked for my clothes. Finding them, I threw them on in record time, put a bandanna on to keep my wet hair off my clothes, and soon found myself in the living room with a twitchy Demyx. This had better be good.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

He looked everywhere but at me before speaking.

"Well, I recently realized that I'm gay…"

"How recently? 5 minutes ago recently, or few days ago recently?"

I just could not take it if he saw me in a towel, and then realized he was gay. It wouldn't be the first time that something like that happened. Why God why couldn't I look a bit more feminine? Demyx looked a little surprised at the question, but he answered.

"It's been a little longer than a few days. A week or two, maybe. I started liking someone I know as… more than friends."

"If it's Axel, you know that I can't, and probably won't help you."

"N-no! It's… it's Zexy."

"So what's the problem? What do you need my help for?"

"I don't know what to do! If I tell him and he rejects me, it could ruin our friendship! If I try to hide it, things could get strained, and he could find out anyway!"

Why, why, why? I've got no experience! All I have is observed and theoretical data!

"Demyx, would you be happy if you told Zexy, and he returned your feelings?"

"Of course I'd be happy!"

"Then it's obvious what you should do. You have to tell him."

"But if he didn't feel the same-"

"Demyx, if you care, then you have to take the chance. You said it yourself that he'd probably find out anyway. You either tell him, and risk things being awkward, or you suffer while you try to hide it, and _make_ things awkward."

His eyes were down cast, and he was silent for a while. I almost wished that he would hurry up and deal with it, so that I could start my revenge, but I was more sensitive than that. I waited (im) patiently, and was finally rewarded when Demyx looked up.

"How do you know all this?"

"I watch people. It's what I do, remember? If there's one thing I've learned, it's that love's not always easy, and maybe it's not supposed to be."

"Yeah. I'll tell him. And if everything blows up in my face, I'll…"

"Lock yourself in your room and write emo music for a few days?"

"Probably. It's worked before."

Demyx smiled his blindingly bright smile, and grabbed his sitar.

"Thanks, Aimi. Wanna hear a song as thanks?"

"Uh, no thanks… Why don't you call Zexion?"

"Good idea! I'll arrange a time for us to meet so that I can tell him."

Demyx jumped up from the couch and ran into the kitchen to use the phone. Finally! Sometimes I wish that I could say no to him.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and a gentle oboe melody drifted out of its speakers. That was Cloud's ring tone. Why would Cloud call me?

"Hello?"

"Aimi, it's Cloud."

"I have caller ID, thank you. Why are you calling me?"

"There was an attempted armed robbery at the Squallmart."

My heart almost stopped. What?! ARMED ROBBERY?! Fuck Reno, why did you have to be a guard?

"They caught Reno by surprise. He's going to be all right, but he's in the hospital. The hospital called your parents, but I knew that you wouldn't find out from them. I'm sure he wouldn't want to see them if they came, but he shouldn't be alone."

I almost fainted, and grabbed my leg tightly, to try and keep conscious.

"Are… you all right, Cloud?"

"Who do you think took out the robber? I got 'em with Reno's nightstick. I'm fine. Can you call Axel? I wanted to tell Roxas what happened, but he turned his phone off."

"Sure. I need to call Axel anyway. I'll make sure that Roxas knows you're fine."

"Thanks. Do you have a way to get to the hospital?"

"Axel has the car, and I'm not old enough to drive it yet."

"I'll come get you, so call Axel."

"Okay. Thanks Cloud."

We both hung up, and I felt sick to my stomach. Fuck. How did this happen? Reno, please be okay. I speed dialed Axel (no, I don't have his number memorized), not sure if Demyx had left or not, and not really caring. Axel picked up on the fourth ring. Well, he _is_ on a date.

"Aimi, what's so important that you had to interrupt my date?"

"Reno's in the hospital."

"Fuck."

--

AN: Cliffie! Finally, I make good on my promise to have the present involved. And to have other pairings. I'm keeping them secret, just because I want their involvement to be a surprise. Not so much the Zemyx. Y'all probably saw it coming. Be kind, review! It brings much needed attention to my inbox. That, and joy to my day. Oh yeah, so the ring tone for Cloud is "Cloud Smiles". I couldn't resist, because I love that song.


	7. Save it For a Rainy Day

Author's note: My original plan involved more happening in this chapter, but I ended up splitting the hospital stuff into two chapters. Eh. That's life. Oh yeah, so this story is definitely going to be longer than Twisted Sister. I've got several more flashbacks for Axel and Roxas, as well as another incident where the present gets involved. Oh, and I picked that quote because of who said it. Thanks to RecklessxDreamer, Niffstral and palinana for reviewing.

Disclaimer: The guy I sent to buy Kingdom hearts didn't make it to the office. I still don't own it.

Warnings: Swearing, boy love.

--

"What's wrong with calling a thief a thief?"

Axel's PoV

I. Hate. Life. Roxas and I were in the park, enjoying the cool night air. When Aimi called, it probably wasn't the best time that she could have picked. Things were heated, to say the least. My-mouth-on-Roxas's-neck-and-his-hands-up-my-shirt heated. Then a peppy pop song in another language split the relative quiet. Aimi's ring tone is very… distinctive. Roxas growled (well, I _did_ keep my phone on), but I chose (possibly unwisely) to ignore him and answer the phone. She wouldn't call during a date for just anything, right? I was still a little bit annoyed, though.

"Aimi, what's so important that you had to interrupt my date?"

"Reno's in the hospital."

Fuck.

"Fuck."

Did I say that out loud? Whoops. Roxas is probably worried now.

"Apparently, there was an attempted armed robbery at the Squallmart. I don't know any of the details, but Reno was hurt. Make sure Roxas knows that Cloud is okay."

Fuck, Reno. Why'd you have to be a guard?

"How do you know all this? You can't be at the hospital, since you called me on your cell."

A static-filled sigh.

"Is that really important right now? Just get to the hospital as soon as you can."

"Do you need me to pick you up?"

"I'm okay. Cloud's coming to get me."

What? Cloud?! The last I heard, he hated her fucking guts! What is this?!

"…We'll talk about this later. See you soon."

The line went dead. Ugh. There went my evening. Roxas was waiting for an explanation, though.

"What happened, Axel? You said something about the hospital?"

"Yeah. There was trouble at the Squallmart. Don't worry, Cloud's fine. It's Reno that's the problem."

Roxas's blue eyes were wide.

"So, are we going to the hospital?"

"Yeah. Sorry, but it looks like we have to cut this date short. Cloud'll be there, so he can take you home."

He shook his head violently, blond spikes flying.

"No! I'm staying with you. You're going to need my support."

"Roxas, I doubt it's that serious…"

"Axel, that could just as easily been Cloud. If it had been, I'd want you there with me. Besides, if I'm not around, who's going to remind you to eat?"

He had that look in his eyes. That look of intractable determination. Recognize defeat, Ax. Go see your injured idiot of a brother.

"Fine. Let's go."

Aimi's PoV

After I finished talking to Axel, I glanced into the kitchen. Demyx was still there. That solved one problem.

"Hey Dem-Dems? I gotta go to the hospital. Could you make sure that Mr. Cuddlefish, DiZ and Ansem get fed?"

"Why're you going to the hospital?"

"Reno's hurt. Cloud's going to take me to see him."

"Got it! Your animals are safe with me."

"Don't play with the fish in the bathtub this time. And lock the apartment when you leave. You know where the key is."

As Demyx gave me a salute (in all seriousness), I glanced out the nearest window. Ugh. I hate living on the tenth floor. The moon was starting to rise in the distance. For the first time in my life, I wondered: is it normal for moons to be shaped like hearts? Or did the moon inspire the heart shape? Hmm. I saw a motorcycle pull up outside, so I left the apartment, flew down the stairs (what? It's healthy), and launched myself into the night air. Cloud was waiting on Fenrir, a helmet covering his blond spikes, and goggles sealed over his eyes. He was still wearing his work clothes. As he handed me a helmet, I think he looked me up and down.

"You aren't really dressed for this."

"Then you'd best not crash. I'd rather not lose all this skin."

Was that a smirk? It was! Maybe Cloud doesn't hate me so much after all. That would be nice, since he's the only member of his family who does.

"Are you going to get on, or should I just go?"

I put on the helmet, and leapt (read: tripped) onto the back of Fenrir.

"Geez, you're impatient, aren't you?"

Still, Cloud made no move to get going.

"What are you waiting for now?"

"I'm not going anywhere until your arms are around my waist. If you fall off, Axel WILL kill me."

"I wasn't about to invade the personal bubble of someone who has previously admitted to hating me without permission. Since you've so readily given it…"

I gingerly wrapped my arms around Cloud's waist, and we were off. It's kind of weird being so close to someone who has often told you that they hate you.

Axel's PoV

When we arrived at the hospital, Aimi was waiting in the lobby with Cloud. Man, this has been a weird-ass day. When she saw us, Aimi ran over. She looked flustered.

"Axel! Reno refused to talk to me without you there. Now that you're here, we can see him."

"How is he?"

Cloud chose to answer that. Aimi's eyes were on the floor.

"He has a mild concussion and his left arm is broken, but he'll be fine. They're planning on releasing him in a few days. They just want to make sure that his concussion doesn't turn into something worse."

I felt my hand clench into a fist.

"Do they know who did this?"

Aimi didn't look at me when she responded. She knew, and the knowledge was causing her pain.

"They do. He's in the room next to Reno's. You can see him if you want, but I would wait until you've seen Reno."

Suddenly, we were outside Reno's room. I hadn't even noticed that we'd been walking. Aimi knocked.

"Reno! I brought Axel!"

"What're you waiting for? Get in here, yo!"

Aimi opened the door. It was a little weird, and a little nostalgic to see my older brother in a hospital bed, with his arm in a cast and bandages around his head. I walked over to the bed, but Aimi lingered near the door.

"Roxas, Cloud, can you…?"

Cloud nodded and steered Roxas away. I barely saw them leave.

"We'll go visit the robber."

Reno looked… different, somehow. It bothered me. He didn't have his usual confident, if bored, air.

"Reno, are you all right?"

Roxas's PoV

Cloud led me to a nearby room. The person on the bed was handcuffed to it, restrained with leather straps, and had bandages around his head and chest. I did a double take when I saw his face. No. It couldn't be. It was as impossible as impossible could be. How could he have done this?

"Seifer?"

--

AN: I'm sure some of you saw that coming. At this phase in the game, it would be kind of weird to bring in a whole new character. Oh, Axel's ring tone for Aimi is Caramelldansen. I was listening to it recently, and I got this image in my head of Aimi dancing to it. I guess it stuck. So, like this chapter? Please review. It fills my heart with an unbridled joy. Well, it makes me pretty darn happy, anyway.


	8. Can't Take It In

Author's Note: Okay, so this is the part where we tie with Twisted Sister in terms of real chapters. Though we've still got a ways in terms of word count. This chapter is not a happy chapter. It's dark. Things should get lighter in chapter 9, but I'm afraid we're going to be mired in darkness for a while. Just remember that I like happy endings. Thanks to RecklessxDreamer, Niffstral and paliana for reviewing. I'd also like to thank LollipopLove, who reviewed every chapter of Twisted sister yesterday.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. If I did, you wouldn't have fought Xemnas 5 times.

Warnings: swearing, boy love, and that bloodthirsty drama llama.

--

"You're… fading away."

Aimi's PoV

Axel's voice had a hint of desperation as he spoke to Reno. He desperately wanted everything to be okay. I think… I wanted that too. Normalcy is a dear friend of mine these days. Unfortunately, someone like Reno doesn't take a blow to the head during an armed robbery, and come away unchanged. Not that I'm complaining. In general, I like my life. It's just that Mistress Fate and I have a longstanding disagreement. I want my life to be normal. She wants to watch our world burn. I watched Reno's eyes as he responded. There was something akin to pity in them.

"I realized something when I woke up in the ambulence, Ax. If something were to happen to me, what would you and Aimi do?"

Axel tried and failed to smirk in the face of sadness.

"Reno, your working doesn't do much to enhance our quality of life anymore, since mom and dad still send money. If something were to happen to you, the only effect on us would be emotional, got it memorized?"

Because emotional trauma is sooooo comforting.

"Axel, I'm trying to be serious here. We can't count on mom and dad to help with things. I need you to find out if we have life insurance."

Was that a dagger in my heart? Way to sound like a commercial, big bro.

"Reno, you're going to be fine. Stop being overdramatic. You're scaring me."

"Aimi, this is a possibility that you have to face. I work in a high-risk field. If we don't have life insurance, on the off chance that one of us kicks it, the survivors could end up on the streets because of the debt! Axel, you need to call them."

He went the entire conversation without saying "yo". Damn. He's serious. But Axel can't call them. He just can't. He looks so angry at the thought. What's to stop him from blowing up at them?

"Why do I have to do it?"

Reno raised a hand to his head, and feigned dizziness.

"I can't do it, yo. My head's still fuzzy. And Aimi hasn't spoken to them since they left."

A growling noise came from Axel's throat, but he walked over to Reno's room phone, punched in a series of numbers, then hit an additional button, and set down the receiver. Are they on speakerphone? That bastard! A voice I hadn't heard in almost four years came out of the speakers.

"Hello? Who is this?"

Our mother…

"It's your children."

"Axel? What do you want?"

He ground his teeth together. Oh god, he'd going to snap. I was surprised to find myself speaking.

"It's about what happened to Reno."

Axel's hand was on my shoulder, a warm and comforting pressure. Reno was looking at the phone like it was diseased.

"Aimi? Oh, that. What are the damages?"

"He has a mild concussion, and-"

"Not those damages. If he will live, then do not trouble me with the details. That is a worry I do not need. No, what I mean is, have you seen a bill?"

I was silent. How do you respond to that? It's always about money, isn't it? Axel's voice was quiet when he spoke.

"We have health insurance, don't we?"

"Health insurance that your father and I are paying for. I take it you haven't seen a bill?"

"No mom. We haven't. I called because Reno wanted me to ask you something."

"Did the blow to his head knock something loose?"

Owowowowow… Axel's hand on my shoulder was like a death grip.

"That's what a concussion is, mom. He wanted to know if we have life insurance."

"He _is_ going to live, right?"

"He's going to be fine. He just wanted to know."

"Well, tell the fool not to worry. We thought the two of you would be lucky not to die young, and we didn't want to leave ourselves in a bad situation if you did. We took precautions for the three of you."

Reno let out a sigh of relief, and Axel hung up the phone without saying goodbye. His breathing was heavy with anger. I was in a state of shock. Did that conversation really just happen? Axel turned on his heel and left the room. Oh crap.

Roxas's PoV

"Cloud, Seifer is the one who did this?"

He nodded, his eyes never leaving the body on the bed.

"Were Rai and Fuu in on it too?"

"They weren't there, so I doubt it."

"Why did he do it? When did he go from being the schoolyard bully to an armed robber?"

"Why don't we ask him?"

Cloud shook Seifer's bed roughly. Slowly, his eyes cracked open. They fell on me with a look of scorn.

"Chicken-wuss? Well, isn't this romantic."

I think Cloud was channeling Axel at that moment, because he looked furious. Furious Cloud is someone that you don't mess with. Cloud settled on glaring at Seifer, while I did the talking.

"Seifer, the guy you hurt, Reno? You've put his family to quite a bit of trouble."

"Is his sister here?"

Uh, what? Cloud and I exchanged a look.

"She is. Reno's right next door."

His voice was quiet, like he was talking to himself.

"Maybe now she'll pay attention to me."

Cloud snapped, which is to say he raised his voice.

"Damn it, Seifer! Do you realize the severity of what you've done? You tried to rob a store with a Struggle bat! There is no question of your guilt, either. One count of attempted armed robbery and one count of assault is enough to put you away until you're almost 30!"

"Cloud, calm down. Do you want to get thrown out?"

I tried to calm him, but then there was a bang, and the door flew open. Axel stood in the doorway, looking wild. His green eyes fell upon the bed, and the person in it. As recognition dawned in them, I moved to intercept him. This is a hospital. Someone needs to remember that.

"Seifer? He's the one responsible for this? Fuck, when will you have enough? When will you be done?"

A cracked laugh came from the bed.

"You gave me no choice, moomba-head. Your rules were simple. You didn't want guys bullying your sister, so you promised swift and painful vengeance for any guy who went near her for any reason. I liked Aimi. She seemed a bit like Fuu. So, I thought to myself: "If I'm going to get hurt for this, I should at least do something to deserve it." It was fun while it lasted. But then it ended, and she wouldn't look at me anymore. Like all those years meant nothing. I got desperate."

Axel looked ready to kill him. If he really tried to, I doubt I could stop him. Maybe Cloud could, but he looked just as angry.

"So, you're saying that the robbery was just a cover to go after Reno? Good job. Aimi will never look at you now. If you come near any of us again, and that includes our friends, as well as the Strifes and the Hikaris, I swear I will kill you. It will be slow and painful, a death only fire can bring."

He was radiating rage. In his shoes, I'd probably feel the same, but there's no way to really know. Right now, I have to make sure that Axel doesn't snap and kill someone. Good thing I came along, huh?

"C'mon Axel. Let's go. He's not worth it."

--

AN: Sorry for the insurance commercial part. It was the best I could think of. Oh yeah, so I recently learned that Axel (In character and appearance) was based on Reno, to see how a similar character would do in another world. I'll never look at them the same again… Please review, my lovelies!


	9. Death and All His Friends

Author's Note: Chapter 9! I don't have much to say about this chapter, so I'll just thank my reviewers. Thanks to Niffstral and RecklessxDreamer for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I wish, I wish, I wish I owned Kingdom Hearts. But, I don't.

Warnings: boy love, swearing

--

"The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes."

Axel's PoV

Reno spent three more days in the hospital. The 12-step program covers hospitals, so I didn't burn anything. If I hadn't been constantly watched by Roxas, Aimi, or their associates, that might not have been true. I think they took shifts watching me. Even Cloud and Naminé took a shift. It's not like I was the one in the hospital! I just refused to leave him, despite my general dislike of hospitals. Even Reno thought that I was staying with him to get a chance to go after Seifer. Please. Do I need a reason to stay by the side of my injured brother? Okay, I do. But attacking Seifer was not my reason, got it memorized? He'll be getting his, and Aimi will never know why he robbed the Squallmart in the first place.

Anyway, Reno was released from the hospital. He wanted to go right back to work, but his broken arm sort of destroyed that option. The doctors said that it would be at least 6 weeks before his arm healed, allowing him to work again. I think he was lucky not to get fired for getting his ass beat by an adolescent with a Struggle bat. As it was, he wasn't getting paid for his absence, so we were back to living on the money that our parents sent. The doctors wanted Reno to take it easy because of his concussion, so Aimi and I took shifts "babysitting" him. It turns out that taking care of someone when they're hurt is a fast way to make you want to inflict further harm on them.

After a few days (I lost count of how many), Roxas came to help me/keep me from killing my injured brother. I swear he looked like an angel, standing there with sea salt ice cream and painkillers. Reno thought the same. He tried to hug my Roxy. I can't help it if my foot slipped, sending him flat on his face. Whether I planned it or not, he had it coming, wouldn't you say?

"Axel! How could you do that, yo? I'm fragile!"

"Oh, how clumsy of me! Here, let me help you."

I dragged Reno back onto the couch, where he proceeded to glower at me. Roxas watched the scene with amusement, and disappeared into the kitchen. He returned with an opened chocolate pudding cup and a spoon, both of which he offered to Reno.

"Why thank you, Roxas! How thoughtful, yo."

Don't you dare look at me like that, Reno. My patience with you ran out two days ago. If you touch Roxas, look forward to another hospital visit. Reno's eyelids fluttered. Is he falling asleep? In a matter of minutes, Reno was snoring on the couch, and Roxas had a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Roxas, what did you put in that pudding?"

"I ground up sleeping pills and mixed them in, so that we could talk without interruptions from Captain Boyfriend-Toucher."

"Talk? About what?"

Why does Roxas look amused? Did I miss something?

"It's your turn to take a trip to the past."

Oh.

"Oh, that. I sorta forgot. What with recent drama…"

Roxas waved a hand dismissively.

"That's fine. Though, I take it that means that you don't have anything prepared?"

"I do, but they're not incidents that I can talk about with Reno around."

"He's out cold."

"Yeah, but if he woke up, it might be bad. I suppose I could tell you about some of the psycho's I've dated. Seriously. I either have really bad luck, or really bad judgment. There's a good chance that it's both."

"That sounds... okay, I guess. I'm not going to hear anything that might make me jealous, am I?"

"Uh, you shouldn't. I told you, they were psychos."

"Sounds good then."

I better not regret this later.

"Okay, lesse… Most recently was Demyx's sister Larxene."

"How are you and Demyx still friends?"

"Oh, trust me. He knew where the fault lay in our breakup."

"Oh?"

"Larxene threatened Aimi with a knife."

"Whoa. She _is_ psycho. Why'd she do it?"

"She was jealous of her. She didn't like how I'd drop everything if Aimi were in trouble. I told her that blood was thicker than water, and she snapped. Violence was how she expressed herself. We actually broke up a month before you and Aimi met."

"That's probably why Naminé waited to introduce us, or Aimi waited to express interest in me."

"Probably. Aimi doesn't like being the cause of a breakup, though really, both of my recent relationships ended because my girlfriend/boyfriend threatened her with harm. Before Larxene was Marluxia. He initiated a hostage situation just to prove a point. I hear that the two of them are together now. It's fitting, really."

Okay, I think I freaked Roxas out. Well, I attract psychos. What can I say?

"So, the moral of the story is that I'm fine as long as I don't go nuts and try to hurt your sister in a jealous rage?"

"Pretty much. You seem sane so far. Reno used to joke that if I found someone who could tolerate Aimi, that would be it. Our relationship would have to last, since that was the only problem in the past."

I winked. Roxas grinned. Okay, so that wasn't as awkward as I thought it would be.

"Aimi helped me out. I'm not about to spit on her help by going psycho."

"Like I said. You seem sane enough so far. But tell me something, Roxas. You know what I can't forgive. Is there something that you can't forgive?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm?"

His voice was quiet, almost like he was afraid that Reno would wake up.

"If you were to like Sora more than me, I couldn't ever forgive you."

What?

"Where's this coming from?"

"Sorry. I can't tell you today. It was your turn, remember?"

"Aw, no fair!"

Reno stirred, and we fell silent and still. There was a rustling at the door. Damn. Aimi's back. She won't like it that Roxas drugged Reno. The door exploded open.

"Axel, Reno, I'm home! Did ya miss- Oh. Hi Roxas!"

Her eyes narrowed, seeing Reno asleep on the couch.

"Why is Reno asleep, and how long has he been that way?"

"Uh, he was tired?"

"Axel, it's the middle of the day. Reno is not one of those people who regularly take naps. Now, you can tell me why he's asleep, or I can assume the worst, and we all go back to the hospital. Which is it going to be?"

"Roxas put sleeping pills in some pudding that he gave him."

"Axel!"

"Sorry, Roxas. It was a hard decision, and I hope you'll forgive me someday."

"Oh, Roxas did it? Good one, Roxas. Reno's troublesome when he's bored. He should be quiet for a while now."

"Hey, no fair! You'd yell at me for drugging him!"

"That's because you're supposed to be taking care of him. Roxas isn't under such a contract."

Damn.

--

AN: The return of the 12-step program! This chapter gave me a lot of grief. I like the next two a lot more. But did you like it? You know what I want. Please review!


	10. Why So Serious?

Author's Note: Ah, chapter 10. Is this chapter light and positive? I only wish. Chapter 11 will be, but there is a good chance that I won't be able to post it on Thursday. I'm got a doctors appointment, a Behind the Wheel, registration for school, and a Bass Clarinet lesson. So, it may be posted, but not at the usual time. Thanks to RecklessxDreamer, hearts.are.for.losers, 321, majesticlunacy and Niffstral for reviewing. And to 321, thank you for your question. Since you asked, I feel that the story should hold the answer. I added a scene in this chapter, which, I hope, clears things up for you. If it doesn't, please say so.

Disclaimer: I just spent half my money on books. I can't afford Kingdom Hearts, so I definitely don't own it.

Warnings: Offensive language, school yard violence, boy love.

--

"If you get on your knees and beg, maybe I'll let it slide."

Roxas's PoV

It had been a week since the break in at the Squallmart. Axel came, unannounced, to my aunt and uncle's apartment, because it was Aimi's shift watching Reno, and he wanted away from him. Reno had apparently not been in a good mood since I drugged him. Since that was my fault, I only whined a little when Axel showed up. You may be wondering, "Why Roxas? Why would you whine at your boyfriend for coming to your aunt and uncle's apartment unannounced?" Because they were home. If we chose to stay there, Axel had to be on his best behavior, which I think we all know is still questionable.

Why am I so worried about them finding out? Look at Axel. What stands out? Sure, his gravity-defying hair stands out. Look down. His piercing green eyes stand out. Look further down. The tattoos under his eyes stand out, and they're where the problem lies. My aunt and uncle have a series of preconceived notions that they subscribe to. One of them is that if you have a tattoo, you are a thug. We can be casual friends with such a person, but it is absolutely forbidden to date what they classify as a thug. Now, look at Aimi. Even with the heart tattoos, does she look even the slightest bit dangerous? Maybe in a black widow kind of way, but I digress. Using Aimi as an example, their little notions seem kind of unreasonable, don't they? That's the Hikari's for you. We're all lucky that Sora doesn't agree.

Anyway, I explained the situation to Axel in hushed tones. In the end, we decided to go out for ice cream. Mmmm… Ice cream. When we were settled in a booth with our ice cream (sea salt for me, and something with a lot of those crunchy cinnamon things), Axel fixed his piercing eyes on me.

"So, Roxas, why didn't you tell me that you haven't told your aunt and uncle about us because they think I'm a thug?"

"It's embarrassing. They're stuck in the past. They like putting people into nice, neat categories. From their perspective, someone like me, "the artistic type", shouldn't mix with a rebel like you."

"A rebel, huh?"

"I think that's their opinion of you."

Axel smirked his trademark smirk.

"Oh, how right they are. A rebel, that's me. Sure, I don't drink, smoke, or ride a motorcycle, but I'd gladly set a trashcan on fire, and I like pranking the school principal."

"So, you've been inside the Door to Darkness?"

"Roxas, I've walked the Corridors of Darkness, and even sat inside the Office that Never Was. It didn't do me any harm."

Axel seemed to hesitate.

"Roxas, I feel like I should explain my behavior last week."

"What's to explain?"

"Roxas, I basically forced myself on you."

"Axel, you can't force the willing. Not to mention, I'm your boyfriend. You can bet that if I'd had a problem with something, I would've said something."

"Still, I feel that I owe you an explanation. How to put this… I'm not really an all talk, no action kind of guy."

"I don't think I've ever heard that expression used that way before."

"Now you sound like Zex. Rox, is this your first relationship of this kind?"

"Yes."

"In most relationships, there has to be balance. It can't all be talking and hanging out, because you are supposed to be interested in each other romantically. That tips the scale on the best friend side of things. On the other hand, things can't be all physical either, because then it's just lust. There's no companionship aspect to things. Some people thrive with different balances of the two, but most relationships involve a healthy amount of both. Do you understand where I'm coming from?"

"I get it. You were making up for close to a weeks worth of talking."

"Not the most elegant solution, I admit. We probably should have had this conversation sooner. Sorry. I should have been thinking."

"It's fine, Axel. I'm happy being around you, almost regardless of the circumstances, so I guess I was sort of blind to your needs. I'm sorry too. If there's something that you want or need, you have to tell me, okay? I might not figure it out on my own."

Axel smiled. It's such a nice smile.

"I'll keep that in mind. Now, uh, wasn't it your turn to talk about something?"

"Did your last one really count?"

"Yes… It was painful enough that it should."

"Okay, fine. Let's see. I'm going to save what you want to hear about for last."

"Aww, Roooxxxxxyy…"

"It was two years ago, or close to anyway."

-

It was lunch during 8th grade. I think it was October; the leaves were changing color, and there was a slight chill in the air. A crowd was forming on the courts where the Blitzball team did dry land practices. At the center of the mob, I saw two girls. Was one of them the girl from before? The one that I hadn't seen since 6th grade? I had to know.

As I approached, the crowd parted, and I saw that she wasn't one of them. At the center of the crowd were Naminé, Kairi, and Seifer. Crowds like this would only gather if there were trouble. I felt my blood run cold. Had Seifer hurt my sister? Naminé spotted me, and her face instantly brightened. Seifer, seeing the change, turned to see what had caused it. His mouth twisted into a cruel smile.

"Ah, chicken-wuss. Nice of you to join us."

"What's going on here?"

"Oh, I was just asking your sister and her "friend" a few questions. Are you looking for a fight?"

"Only if there's something worth fighting over. Is there, Naminé, Kairi?"

Kairi stepped forward, pointing angrily at Seifer.

"He was asking Naminé and I if we were a couple. Since when are girls not allowed to be friends without raising suspicion?"

Seifer waved a hand dismissively.

"When your best friend's twin is a fag, well, it wouldn't be strange for your best friend to be the same."

I should've pegged Seifer for a homophobe before this. My mistake.

"So, this isn't about Naminé and Kairi at all. This is about me, isn't it?"

He laughed. Where's a Struggle bat when you need one?

"You catch on quick, chicken-wuss. I notice that your friends aren't here. Good. Now I can see if you fight half as well without them helping you."

"I see Fuu and Rai aren't here. What happened? Are they not as intolerant as you?"

Seifer lunged. I was expecting it, so I got out of the way in time. I was about to retaliate, but someone grabbed me from behind. It was Olette. Next to her were Pence and Hayner.

"Roxas, let Naminé and Kairi handle this. Maybe you're the one that Seifer wants to fight, but he dragged them into this. He needs to deal with the consequences. Maybe he'll give up if he gets beaten up by a pair of girls."

"Are you sure that this is a good idea, Olette? I don't want Naminé to get hurt."

Hayner cracked his knuckles.

"Don't worry, man. If things get bad, we'll go in."

Seifer sneered.

"Let me see if I've got this straight. You want me to fight girls?"

Kairi punched him in the back of the head.

"Sounds good to me! Ready, Naminé?"

Naminé nodded, and adopted a fighting stance. Seifer turned to face them, holding the back of his head.

"Fucking girls… I wasn't rea-"

Naminé kicked him between the legs. Seifer crumpled onto the ground.

"You might want to give up now. We have some issues with you. And this time, we'll fight."

Seifer looked up, his pain and scorn evident.

"Give up? To a pair of girls? Do I look like a fag to-"

Kairi kicked him in the face.

"Don't you dare talk about people that way. Refusing to go out with you does not make us lesbians, by any stretch of the imagination. Give up, or we'll keep going."

Blood was streaming down Seifer's face, but I knew he wouldn't give up. It was a matter of pride. The ringing of a bell cut through the air. Naminé turned and started walking toward the building.

"Looks like you've been saved by the bell, Seifer."

-

Axel's eyes were huge when I finished. I think we've been freaking each other out a lot lately.

"Naminé and Kairi beat up Seifer? Whoa… I'll never look at them the same way again."

"It was pretty weird. I've never seen them like that before."

"So, how did that incident affect you? I'm not sure I see the relevance."

"Well, before that, a lot of people were afraid of Seifer, myself included. Afterwards though, he lost his power over a lot of people. Naminé and Kairi made us feel strong."

"So, they helped you find your strength?"

"They helped me find my courage. And I realized that Naminé didn't need protecting."

"Did they now? If you found your courage, why didn't you ever talk to me?"

"Shush."

"Methinks you were yanking my chain about finding your courage."

"No! That's why I could talk to you when I was forced to."

"But not otherwise."

"Well, that has an added level of difficulty. I'd have to approach you first."

"Roxas, you never cease to amaze me."

--

AN: This is by far the longest chapter in this story so far. It's probably because I had to add that scene in. But I'm not complaining. It seems like it fits there, so I'm satisfied. Are you satisfied? Your reviews help me make necessary changes, so please review!


	11. Telling the Truth

Author's note: And, after a day of running around, I'm back. No Axel or Roxas in this chapter. No, this chapter is devoted to a side pairing. I had fun with this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to Kannachix3, RecklessxDreamer, 321, Niffstral, and InoYamanaka91 for reviewing.

Disclaimer: We just paid school fees. I couldn't own Kingdom Hearts if I wanted to.

Warnings: swearing, boy love.

--

"We need more memories like today… Tons more!"

Aimi's PoV

I set down my cup of hot cocoa with a sigh. No, I don't drink coffee. Axel does, but I can't get past the taste. Why am I at a coffee shop, then? Naminé, Kairi and I always meet at Cool Beans. At my sigh, they looked at me instantly. Naminé reached out to squeeze my hand.

"Aimi, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry. Things have been rough at home lately."

Kairi nodded sympathetically.

"It's no mystery why. Reno got hurt, and by Seifer, no less! That's got to be enough of a shock."

"Well, yeah. There's that. But then, I had my first real conversation with my mom in four years."

Naminé squeezed my hand gently.

"How did that go?"

"She hasn't changed at all. I couldn't see how bad she was before, but now I see. It was terrible. She was so cold. I can't believe I ever missed her."

Kairi smiled gently.

"She's your mother. As terrible as she is, that doesn't change the fact that she's your mother. You didn't want to see her as she truly is, because that would involved admitting that she doesn't care about you."

"You're probably right. Then there's also Reno's recent behavior. He's been pissy ever since Roxas drugged him."

Naminé giggled. What's funny?

"Well, that's not surprising. He thought Roxas was being nice, then he wakes up to find out that that wasn't the case. It must feel like everyone's against him."

"Why doesn't he get that he's annoying when he's needy?"

Kairi grinned.

"He's only human. And he's in good company."

I couldn't help smiling.

"Too true. But the real cause of my worry is none of the above. No, the real cause of my distress is the reason why I called you here today."

Oh, how I live for drama. Still, it's not nice to keep them dangling. I pointed at a table on the other side of Cool Beans. Their heads turned to look at where I was pointing. At the table, a familiar blond fauxhawk was visible. Naminé's hand found its way over her mouth.

"Demyx? Why are we spying on Demyx? We can't hear him anyway."

I smiled.

"He asked me to be here, for moral support. This is a moment that I thought you might like to witness. And, we _can_ hear him."

I picked up my cell phone from my lap, where it had been sitting, open. If you looked at the lighted screen, you would see that a call was in progress, and that it was on speakerphone.

"Demyx has his sound muted, so he can't hear us. We however should be able to hear him, and his guest."

Kairi raised an eyebrow.

"His guest?"

"Wait and see."

The three of us fixed our eyes on the table. If Demyx were to look in our direction, he probably would have been creeped out. It seemed like forever before Zexion arrived, wearing, of all things, a trenchcoat. It was July, for goodness sake! At this point, Kairi and Naminé turned to look at me.

"What's weird about him meeting Zexion? They're best friends."

"Watch Demyx's face and listen, Naminé."

Demyx looked nervous. Zexion, though his emotions are rarely on display, seemed curious. Oh please, let this end well. Zexion's voice slid smoothly out of the speakers. Always calm and collected, that Zexy.

"So, what's this about, Demyx? It is unusual for you to make plans so far in advance, especially with myself."

Demyx twisted a napkin nervously.

"Y-yes, that is…"

Zexion set down his coffee cup irritably.

"Demyx, what is the matter? You're never this nervous. Whatever it is, you have nothing to be nervous about. We're best friends, aren't we?"

Naminé and Kairi were looking at me suspiciously. I think they'd figured out why we were there. Demyx seemed disheartened by Zexion's words.

"Yes, we're friends. Aren't we…"

He must be thinking of our conversation. Pull it together! I was surprised that Zexion hadn't caught on yet. He softened his tone, recognizing a touchy subject.

"Dem, what's wrong? Why did you schedule this a week in advance? What do you want to tell me?"

"Zexy, I… I want you to know that I'm gay."

Zexion blinked. He blinked again. And again.

"Is that all? Really Demyx, I never thought you were so-"

"No! That's not all. There's one more thing."

Kairi and Naminé's eyes were glued to the "show" now. If their suspicions were correct (and they were), they were witnessing an important moment for the cheerful blond boy, and at his behest, no less.

"Demyx, the suspense is unnecessary. Please, get on with it."

Demyx's eyes darted here, there, everywhere.

"Zexy, I… I like you."

"Thank you, but I knew that already. We're friends."

Demyx was panicking now, trying to think of an easy way to say things without embarrassing himself.

"Zexy, I like you the way that Roxas likes Axel."

Crude, but effective. The word choice that I probably would have used myself. Zexion's eyes were abnormally large, by which I mean they were slightly larger. He swept back the hair covering his other eye, making both visible.

"What? You… me… like that?"

It was the least coherent that we'd ever seen him. Demyx was a wreck, waiting anxiously to know his fate. Then Zexion smiled. I felt a chill creep up my spine.

"Well then Demyx, I have something to tell you too. I like you the way that Axel likes Roxas."

Demyx looked like he might explode with happiness. In fact, he exploded across the table, to catch Zexion in a bone-crushing hug. I snapped my phone shut with a self-satisfied smile. Naminé and Kairi both had tears of joy in their eyes, and Naminé was reaching for her sketchbook, the urge to draw the scene taking her.

"So, was it worth the wait and the secrecy?"

Kairi smiled.

"Aside from the fact that we had to spy, that was definitely a great start to my day. Don't you think so, Nami?"

Naminé nodded distractedly, as she sketched with fervor. I rose from the table with a smile, and walked over to where Demyx was causing a scene. Zexion's eyes narrowed when he saw me.

"Why are you here?"

"Dem-Dems invited me."

Zexion was struck silent. Demyx looked up at me with worried eyes. He actually invited me as a way to make up for interrupting my shower. I smiled comfortingly.

"You know what, Demyx? I'm glad you interrupted my shower that day."

--

AN: Zemyxness! That chapter was really fun to write. I live for fluff. But what do you think? There's an easy way to tell me, and that's reviewing!


	12. Introduce a Little Anarchy

Author's note: Unfortunately, no Axel or Roxas in this chapter either. They will be in the next chapter, though. I just needed to move this little plotlet along. Prepare yourselves for IM conversations. Thanks to RecklessxDreamer, InoYamanaka91, paliana and Niffstral for reviewing.

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts isn't mine. That's not going to change.

Warnings: swearing, boy love.

--

"Once we se sail, it'll be great."

Naminé's PoV

After an exciting morning, I hoped that I could spend a quiet afternoon drawing or painting. That looked like it would be the case. Roxas was out with Axel, Cloud was working, as were our aunt and uncle, and Sora was playing videogames in the living room. Everything seemed peaceful. I lifted a paintbrush, intending to work on the paintings that Axel had commissioned, when there was a knock on the door. I lowered my brush with a quiet sigh. No such luck.

"Who is it?"

"Sora. Can we talk, Naminé?"

"Come in, Sora."

The door opened slowly to reveal a nervous-looking Sora. I started packing away my painting supplies. Something told me that this was going to take a while. I sat down on the edge of my bed, and patted the spot next to me. Sora gingerly sat down.

"What did you want to talk about, Sora?"

"I wanted to talk about Riku."

Riku? Why's he asking me?

"Don't you usually go to Kairi about Riku problems?"

"Normally, I would. But Kairi and Riku have never met in real life. You were friends with him until you met Kairi."

I was four. I barely remember those days.

"Had Riku been acting weird lately?"

They communicate by email and instant messaging. I wonder what Riku looks like. It's been almost seven years since any of us have seen him.

"I think he's avoiding me. He won't respond to my emails, and he's never on IM when I go on."

Amazing how easy it is to avoid someone online.

"Are you sure that he's not on vacation or something?"

Sora shook his head vehemently.

"He would have told me if he was going somewhere! No, he's avoiding me."

Or he's on vacation _and_ avoiding you. Okay Naminé, say those four little words. Maybe he'll let you off easy.

"How can I help?"

Sora instantly brightened. What have I gotten myself into?

"Can you talk to Riku for me? He'd probably talk to you. There aren't many people who wouldn't."

"I'll talk to him. Don't expect much, though."

Sora smiled his brilliant smile, and flounced back into the living room. I went into Cloud and Sora's room, and searched for Cloud's laptop. I found it underneath Sephiroth, who was napping on top of it. Gently, I slid it out from underneath the violent chocobo. I plugged it in, since I had no idea how long this would take, then sat down on Cloud's bed. Flipping up the screen, I opened the instant messenger and logged in. I glanced at my contact list, and quickly spotted Riku. Ignoring the other names, I double-clicked on "WayToDawn".

MemoriesWitch wrote: Hey Riku. Long time no see.

WayToDawn wrote: Hey Naminé. It HAS been a while, huh?

MemoriesWitch wrote: Riku, I heard that you've been avoiding Sora.

WayToDawn wrote: Yeah, I have been.

MemoriesWitch wrote: Why? He's really bothered. Did he do something to upset you?

WayToDawn wrote: Sora hasn't done anything that he doesn't normally do.

MemoriesWitch wrote: Then why?

WayToDawn wrote: Will you tell Sora?

MemoriesWitch wrote: I'll tell him that you don't hate him. But beyond that, I can keep a secret.

WayToDawn wrote: I don't hate Sora. But I can't keep talking to him like this.

MemoriesWitch wrote: ?

WayToDawn wrote: Promise you won't tell Sora?

MemoriesWitch wrote: I promise.

WayToDawn wrote: I think I love him.

MemoriesWitch wrote: !!

WayToDawn wrote: I can't keep being Sora's pen pal. I can't tell him how I feel either, because going long-distance would be even worse.

MemoriesWitch wrote: So you decided to avoid him?

WayToDawn wrote: There's no point in reminding myself of what I can't have.

MemoriesWitch wrote: But what about when you graduate? You could be together then.

WayToDawn wrote: That's assuming that Sora would have me. From what I gather, he wouldn't. He has Kairi.

MemoriesWitch wrote: Riku, it's not like that with them!

-WayToDawn logged off-

I was surprised, and more than a little frustrated. When would Riku learn to listen? Well, I could tell Sora that Riku didn't hate him, anyway.

"Sora!"

No response. Huh. That was weird. He should be in the apartment with me… I set down the laptop, and left the room.

"Sora?"

Silence. I moved quickly into the living room. Sora's game was still on, but there was no sign of him.

"Sora, this isn't funny!"

That's when I saw Jack batting at a piece of paper. I pried it away from him, and read the note written on it.

_Dear Naminé,_

_Sorry about this. I never expected Riku to tell you anything. It was just a distraction to keep you occupied while I left. Yeah, I left. I'm going to the Destiny Islands to find Riku. I'm probably already on a plane there. Please don't try to stop me, and please don't be mad. I probably won't be back. I transferred schools. Whether Riku likes it or not, I'm staying. Tell my parents not to worry. I'm safe as long as Riku's around._

_Love and apologies,_

_Sora Hikari_

I was numb and full of anger at the same time. How could Sora do this? I ran back into Cloud and Sora's room. I searched Sora's dresser. All of his clothes were gone. Then I saw the laptop. I could get help. I hadn't the first idea what to do. I looked at my contact list. Sure enough, "ThatMeddlingRedhead", and "7thPrincessofHeart" were both on. Good. I needed their advice. I added them both to a chatroom.

MemoriesWitch wrote: Aimi, Kairi, I need your help.

ThatMeddlingRedhead wrote: What's up?

MemoriesWitch wrote: Sora ran away from home. He's going to find Riku.

7thPrincessofHeart wrote: What?! He ran away from home? Oh God…

MemoriesWitch wrote: I'm going to call Roxas and Cloud so that we can go after him. Aimi, can you call Axel, and can the three of you come with us? Kairi, can you alert Riku?

ThatMeddlingRedhead wrote: I'll call Axel right now. We'll be ready to leave on the hour.

7thPrincessofHeart wrote: I'll try to get in touch with him. He might not do anything, though.

MemoriesWitch wrote: Once Cloud gets plane tickets, I'll send you the flight number. Am I doing the right thing, getting together a search party like this?

ThatMeddlingRedhead wrote: There really isn't another option. Though Sora might end up staying anyway.

7thPrincessofHeart wrote: One problem at a time.

--

AN: I loved having an excuse to come up with screen names. Oh, so I typed up most of this chapter in the dress for my Naminé cosplay. Why? My mom was making adjustments to it, and I can't get out of it without help. Ah well. The drama llama has struck again. Make your opinions known by reviewing!


	13. Someday I'll fly away

Author's Note: It's time for Axel and Roxas's triumphant return! I know that some of you were quite eager to hear from them again. So I'm going to warn you now, this chapter is probably the longest yet. The flashback takes some time, since it involves quite a bit of talking. Thanks to Niffstral, RecklessxDreamer, 321, xXxFallenXxXAngelsxXx and majesticlunacy for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. That's not likely to change.

Warnings: language, boy love

--

"Maybe waiting isn't good enough."

Axel's PoV

I picked the park as the location for my next jaunt into the past. There was a secluded spot in a grove of tree, where it was unlikely that we'd be seen or overheard. What I had chosen to tell Roxas was as close to a family secret as we have. Reno wouldn't have liked it that I was telling someone our family secrets. That's why I couldn't talk about them in front of him, unconscious or not. Aimi might not have appreciated it either. Luckily, she's tied up watching Reno. She probably doesn't mind watching today, since she got home this morning in a really good mood. Then she wouldn't tell me why! She just winked and said: "You'll find out soon enough." Ugh. Sisters. Anyway, back to Roxas and I, in a grove of trees.

"So, what memory are you going to relate today, Axel?"

"Think about what I've told you so far."

"It's got something to do with your parents, Aimi, or both."

"An excellent guess. And you're right."

"About which one?"

I grinned deviously.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see. And maybe not make three guesses at once in the future."

Roxas stuck out his tongue. So tempting… aw, what the heck? I leaned forward, and slid my lips over Roxas's tongue. Roxas, not expecting that, turned bright red. I gave his tongue a quick tap with mine, and withdrew. Well, that was fun. Roxas is embarrassed too. Always a plus.

"Axel?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you have done that if people could see us?"

"If it would make you embarrassed, then no. I don't want anyone but me to see your embarrassed face, got it memorized?"

Roxas smiled. I decided that now was as good a time as any to start reminiscing.

"It was a year after our parents left…"

"Wait! I have a question first."

"Okay, shoot."

"Why isn't Aimi in the same grade as you? Her birthday is in August."

"This just occurred to you now?"

"I've actually been wondering about it for a while. I just remembered it now."

"Do you remember when school started in August? Well, back then, Aimi's birthday was after the grade level cut off. Eventually, school started later and later, but Aimi didn't qualify to skip a grade. She's stuck being one of the older people in her grade."

"Ah, okay. Continue."

"Thank you. So, it was a year after our parents left."

-

The phone rang. I rushed to grab it before Aimi, and I succeeded. I didn't want Aimi to talk to our parents, on the off chance that they called. She still had hope that they would come back. Talking to them would only fuel that hope.

"Hello?"

"Axel? It's your mother."

"What do you want?"

"Axel! Is that how you talk to one of your parents?"

"When you leave your children to fend for themselves, you can barely be called parents anymore, got it memorized?"

She sighed. Bitch.

"Axel, your father and I have a few days before our next trip, and we were thinking that we would come and see the three of you. Is there a credible reason why we shouldn't?"

"Who do you think you are? You leave for a year, and then think you can come back whenever you want, only to leave again? Do you know what affect that would have on Aimi, who still holds out hope that you will come back and stay? Do you even care?"

Silence on the other line. Then, she spoke, her voice cold and detached.

"I suggested this because I thought it would make you happy. Clearly, I was mistaken. You won't see us, and I won't suggest this again."

The line went dead. I was shaking with rage, and I felt the urge to burn something coming on. I calmed down when I saw Aimi standing in the doorway. How much had she heard?

"Axel, who were you talking to?"

I set the phone down, and hugged her.

"Nobody. I was talking to nobodies. They're not going to hurt you anymore."

"O-okay."

Aimi went back to her room, and I called Reno.

"Axel, what's up? I'm working, yo."

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay…?"

"We've moved on from what happened with our parents, at least in a relative sense. We both know that they're not coming back. But Aimi still thinks that they _will_ come back. Why?"

"Axel, do you remember receiving affection from our parents?"

"Uh, a little… Mostly from dad, now that I think about it."

"But there wasn't much, was there?"

"No. Never."

"Aimi was their hope, yo. They gave her more than they gave us. She has more to lose from their leaving us."

"Will she ever get better?"

"Maybe. She can't start to recover until she realizes that our parents aren't coming back."

"…When did you get so smart, Reno?"

"I've always been smart, yo! You just never realized it."

Suddenly, I realized that the apartment was awfully quiet.

"Aimi? Are you okay?"

"What's going on?"

"It's too quiet. I'm worried"

I knocked, then opened the door to Aimi's room. She wasn't there. Her bed was neatly made, and there was a note on her pillow.

"Reno, I think we have a problem. Aimi's gone, and she left a note."

"Read it to me, yo!"

"Dear Axel and Reno, I'm sorry. I can't stay in this place any longer. The memories are too strong. I'm leaving. Please, don't try to find me and bring me back. Maybe we'll meet again in this life. If we don't, let's meet again in the next one. Love, love, love, Aimi. P.S. I took some of Reno's money. Sorry."

"She ran away? Ax, you have to find her!"

"But where could she go? She doesn't have any friends, and we're estranged from our relatives."

"She's in a hotel, then! Get going, yo!"

I hung up, and looked through the phonebook for hotels. One stood out. The End of the World Hotel. Perfect. I called the Gummi Ship taxi service, and was there in 10 minutes. And then I was stumped. If Aimi was already here, how could I get her to come out? I got lucky. Aimi stumbled into the lobby with her suitcase. She had walked here, and I'd made it before her. Oh, am I a lucky pyro.

"Aimi."

There was fear in her eyes. Genuine fear. I was hurt. How could she be afraid of me, her darling older brother?

"How did you find me?"

"Next time, don't pick a hotel that describes how you're feeling. Now, I think we need to have a talk, and we are going to go home to have it."

Aimi nodded numbly, and we rode home in silence. The interrogation began on our return.

"Okay Aimi, talk. Why did you leave?"

"I think my note was perfectly clear."

"So, you couldn't take it anymore and you left? That's not like you."

"Axel, there are days when I feel like I can't feel anything at all. Then there are days when it's like I have a heart for the first time in years, but all I can feel is the emotions that hurt. I can't keep this up."

"Aimi, you are a strong person, with brothers who love you. I know this is hard, but you have to keep trying."

I enfolded her in my arms.

"You're not alone, and you're going to make it through this, got it memorized?"

She looked up at me.

"Are you sure? Are you sure I can do this?"

"Of course you can. It's not right for you to be sad, so you'll definitely feel better, even if it takes time."

Aimi smiled.

"Thanks, Axel. I'll stay, at least for a while longer."

Aimi eventually fell asleep in my arms. That's when I called Reno.

"Hey Reno, I've got her. She's home again."

-

"Aimi ran away from home? Whoa…"

"Yeah. She's a lot better now than she was. It took a while, but she got there."

"So, you intentionally kept her away from your parents?"

"I knew that talking to them would get her hopes up, only to have them crushed again."

"Heh."

"What?"

What's with that smile, Roxas?

"You really are a good big brother, aren't you? No wonder Aimi would do anything for you."

"Does this mean that you have a new appreciation for me?"

"I appreciated you from the start. But, perhaps…"

Roxas's eyes had a dreamy cast. Is that… desire? Roxas has desire! Oh my god, thank you!

Then both of our cell phones went off. Aimi's ring tone hopped, skipped, and jumped out of my phone, while Naminé's ring tone flowed out of Roxas's. That's not a good sign.

--

AN: I would say "Cliffie", but you already know why they're calling. Geez, this chapter was long. So much talking… Well, I hope you enjoy. And I hope you can be convinced to review. By the way, I'm pretty sure that Naminé has a theme song in Chain of Memories. That's what the ring tone for her is.


	14. Somewhere

Author's Note: This chapter is a lot like the getting to the hospital chapter. It's there because there's a few important things I need to establish before we can return to the story. I tried to throw in some humor, but I sorta failed. Thanks to Niffstral, RecklessxDreamer and xXxFallenXxXAngelsxXx for reviewing.

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is not mine. Not even in my dreams…

Warnings: language, boy love, rabid drama llama

--

"Can you feel Sora?"

Axel's PoV

"What's up, Aimi? Were you playing Last Legend VII, mooning over Cumulus, when you realized that he's not real, and then decided to call me so that I could gloat?"

"Axel, this is serious."

"Again? Why do you never call me so that I can gloat?"

"There's never any opportunities for that. Are you sitting?"

"Yes…"

"Okay, here goes. Sora has left his home, in an attempt to locate and remain with his childhood friend Riku. We're going to help the Strifes in their attempt to find him. Get your ass home. We're packing our things, and getting on the next plane to the Destiny Islands."

Sora ran away from home? Holy shit, this is serious. Right after I told Roxas about Aimi running away from home, too…

"Much as this shocks me, how are we getting plane tickets? There's no way that we have the money."

"Leave that to me. Just get yourself and Roxas to your respective homes."

Should I be concerned? I think so.

"Is there anyone that I should call?"

"Not just yet. Naminé thinks that the seven of us should be able to cover enough ground, while still being cost-effective."

"Are the Destiny Islands really that small?"

"It helps that we know where Sora is headed. Now move!"

We hung up. I glanced at Roxas, who had just done the same.

"Need to get home?"

Roxas's eyes were huge. Well, it's not everyday that the happy ball of sunshine in your life has secretly transferred schools and run away from the only home that he knows.

"Yeah. Did you just get the same call that I did?"

"If it was about Sora, yeah."

Roxas shuddered.

"It's weird. The past and present seriously inter-lapped today."

"I'm sure it's just a coincidence."

"Probably. Doesn't make it less weird."

Aimi's PoV

By the time Axel arrived, I was almost completely packed. I had to pack for Reno too, because he insists that he's going to need all the energy he can get for running around in the heat. Your left arm is broken, dear brother. You are not paralyzed. Ah well. I guess he deserves a rest, since he's been working (almost illegally) for more than three years.

"Axel! I'll pack your stuff, so can you call Dad? We're going to get the money the old fashioned way."

"Begging? You want me to beg dad for money?"

Reno looked up from his spot on the couch.

"If there's any chance of getting money from our parents, Dad's more likely to give it to you, yo. If you just explain the situation, he'll probably give us something, which is more than we have right now."

"Why do I have to do it?"

Axel's PoV

Aimi smiled. Uh-oh.

"Axel, you decided on your own that you should be the only one to talk to our parents. Why stop now?"

Damn. She's too observant for her own good. I gingerly lifted the house phone, and dialed that number that I secretly memorized.

"Hello?"

Dad…

"Dad, it's Axel."

"Oh, how are you Axel?"

This is… pleasant.

"I'm okay."

"I hope Reno is recovering well?"

"No thanks to himself, but yeah."

"And how is Aimi? She's made some friends, I hope?"

He sounds like he actually… cares.

"Yeah, she's got a few. That's not the reason I called, though."

"Ah yes. You need money, I suppose?"

I think I see where Aimi gets it from.

"My boyfriend's cousin ran away from home. We're going to try and find him. We need plane tickets for myself, Aimi and Reno to the Destiny Islands."

"If you can get me a flight number, I'll buy the tickets for you."

"Wow. That was easy."

"Axel, I know that you wouldn't call unless this was a serious matter, and you had no other way. I appreciate your need,"

"…Thanks Dad."

Roxas's PoV

When I got home, there were three large suitcases next to the door. Naminé was sitting on one of them. She wasn't crying, but there were tear tracks on her face. Cloud was on the phone with someone, making arrangements for Jack and Sephiroth. When Naminé saw me, she leapt up and hugged me.

"Roxas! I'm so glad you're home! I packed your things for you, and Cloud got the plane tickets. Kairi's due here any minute."

"Kairi's coming?"

"We thought that she had the best chance of convincing Sora to come back."

"Seven teenagers on a plane to the Destiny Islands… Who would guess that we're not on vacation?"

Cloud hung up the phone.

"Aerith's going to take care of Jack and Sephiroth, and Tifa got us motel reservations. Naminé, do you have Riku's address?"

Naminé shook her head.

"Kairi does, though. Once she gets here, we should leave. Someone should call the Lea's, and find out it they're ready, and if they have a way to the airport."

Cloud picked up his briefly discarded phone.

"I'll do it. Roxas, you should make sure that you have everything you might need."

I found my suitcase and started to search it, but I was half listening to Cloud's phone conversation.

"Aimi, it's Cloud. Yeah. Nami wants to know if you guys are ready, have tickets, and have a way to the airport. Okay, we'll meet you at the check-in counter. Yeah. Bye."

That's weird. He didn't swear at her once. It was a short conversation, but still. There was a knock on the door. Naminé opened it to reveal Kairi, in a pink dress, carrying a pink suitcase.

"Hey guys. You ready?"

Naminé nodded. The three of us picked up our bags, and left the apartment. At that moment, I remembered something kind of important.

"Naminé, did someone tell aunt and uncle Hikari?"

"Yes. They can't get time off work, so they paid for our plane tickets. They think we have a better chance of finding Sora than they do."

Well that's…depressing. As the taxi pulled away, I started to wonder. Can we really bring Sora back? Should we? Is this whole trip pointless? I didn't think that it was, but some part of my heart was insistent that trying to separate Sora from Riku was like trying to stop a tidal wave. Sora would always try and find Riku, even if he didn't want to be found.

At that moment, I missed Axel intensely, even though it had been less than an hour since we parted, and we'd soon be together again. Would Axel try to find me like that? I didn't really want to find out. I just wanted to know my fate, and what we were going to do about Sora.

--

AN: And, scene. The next chapter has the last bit of Roxas's past, so wait for it. And now for a shameless plug. My darling sister, around whom the world revolves, has asked me to post a link to a recent drawing of hers, featuring Sora and Roxas.

kingofthieves .deviantart .com/ art/ The-Key-COLORZ-D-95917037

www .sheezyart .com/ view/ 1871660/


	15. A Journey In The Dark

Author's Note: The chapter tried to kill me. More than once. You may think that it's just another transition chapter, but that's not true. This chapter brings us the final bits of Roxas's past. And they tried numerous times to kill me. Thanks to RecklessxDreamer and AGENT RACH for reviewing. Oh, and this chapter was posted later than usual today, because FFnet refused to show me my docs, my stories, as well as my profile. If I hadn't already been logged in, I wouldn't have been able to get on. I'm not sure if this problem was site wide, but I biting my nails all day, and checking to see if it was working every hour. So here it is.

Disclaimer: I had a very weird dream last night. Even then, I didn't own Kingdom Hearts.

Warnings: language, boy love

--

"Because you are a Nobody."

Roxas's PoV

It's a five hour flight from Hollow Bastion International Airport to its' counterpart in the Destiny Islands. For an International flight, it's relatively short. On the other hand, if I spent five hours sitting next to Reno, Axel would have killed someone. Probably Reno. I don't know how it happened, but we ended up sitting in three groups. I got a window seat, and sat next to Axel. Good so far, right? Reno ended up sitting between Kairi and Naminé. I'm not sure how to feel about that. Should I feel sorry for someone there? Finally, Aimi got a window seat, with Cloud sitting next to her. I think that bothered Axel, but I thought it was a good thing. If they could survive five hours next to each other, then that would prove once and for all that they could get along.

Aimi's PoV

When we reached cruising altitude, there was something that I had to know. It hadn't just popped into my head, but I found that I couldn't talk while planes are ascending. Luckily, the person that I needed to ask was sitting right next to me.

"Hey, Cloud?"

"Hnn?"

Not even a word. Promising.

"Cloud, do you…hate me?"

"Do you mean well?"

"What?"

"Do you mean well when you involve yourself in the affairs of others?"

"Oh. Yes. But I've been told that incompetent good intentions are just as bad, if not worse than ill intentions. So how would that make a difference?"

"Your meddling, well meant as it is has made Roxas happy. If you mean well, it makes all the difference."

"So?"

"So what?"

"Do you hate me?"

"…No. I used to. But that was before."

"Before what?"

"Before you did this for Roxas."

I smiled. Maybe it's time to hang up the meddling towel.

Roxas's PoV

Axel was wired. Something about never having been on a plane before, or maybe about never having left the country before. It was the same for all of us, so I'm not sure why Axel was so excited. Oh, how I looked forward to Customs. We couldn't really explain the situation (since it was probably illegal).

"Roxas, are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Axel, what's it going to take to calm you down?"

"Talk to me more!"

"Really?"

"Really! I just want to hear my Roxy's voice!"

Of course. It would be that easy.

"Fine. I could be persuaded to tell you about something. But this is the last one, okay?"

"As long as it's what I wanted to hear about."

"Well, there's not much to tell about that."

"Hmmm?"

"When we were younger, there were some adults that liked to compare Sora and I. In those comparisons, Sora always came out on top."

"So that's why…?"

"Like I said, if you were to be like them, I couldn't forgive you."

"I don't think that's going to happen Rox. I picked you, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. There was something else that I wanted to tell you about, actually."

"Oh?"

"Yup. This time, I'll let you interrupt."

"Yay!"

"When we were little, Sora, Naminé, Riku and I were all friends. You told me before about how you and Reno would fight a lot when you were little. Well, Sora and I would fight Riku. Two on one doesn't sound fair, but neither of us could beat Riku on their own."

"He was that good, huh?"

"He was. We used to fight with sticks, while Naminé watched and drew. Even though Sora would use one, and I would use two, Riku with his one stick almost always won. Then Sora had an idea."

"Sora had an idea?"

I smiled.

"Yeah. Sora had an idea. He thought we should look for sticks that still had parts of other branches on them, so that we could hold Riku's stick in between those parts, thus immobilizing his weapon, leaving the other free to attack."

"Did his idea work?"

"Yup. We beat Riku that day. Sora, as always, landed the finishing blow. But then Riku said that we were fighting with keyblades against a guy with a sword, when we were all supposed to be using swords. So, Sora's little plan only worked once. It was enough, though."

"Uh, keyblades?"

"With the little bits of branches sticking out, they looked a little bit like keys. I think that's where Riku got the name from."

"Is that why you freak out so much when you lose your keys? And why you're so attached to them in the first place?"

My face reddened slightly.

"Maybe. Keyblades _are_ what gave us victory against Riku, even if he says we cheated."

"Doesn't sound like cheating to me. Sounds like being smart. Which is weird to say about Sora, since he never struck me as particularly bright."

"Sora's smart. He's just quiet about it. He came up with the idea that beat Riku, after all, which is something I can't say that I did."

"I'm sure you came up with another idea to beat Riku, though."

"Maybe I did. Maybe it involved making him trip on melted ice cream. I'm not at liberty to disclose such facts."

"Okay, that is cheating. My lil' Roxy's so devious!"

Axel hugged me and ruffled my hair.

"Strangely, Riku didn't count slipping on ice cream as cheating, since he couldn't prove that I put it there. If it were Sora, he might've yelled "SABOTAGE!". But Riku didn't."

"A man doesn't like to admit that his enemy planned on defeating him by having him slip on ice cream, and that it worked. He'd rather just be unlucky."

"We were four. Well, Riku was five. Still, there were no men there."

"But five year olds still have some manly pride. As Reno proved when I tried the same trick on him."

"You…what?"

"I had Aimi eat an ice cream cone over our usual fighting spot at the park. Worked like a charm. Of course, Aimi predicted my victory."

"Because she helped you cheat your way to it. I can't believe I think like you…"

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"Well, I'd like to think that I had an original idea."

"You didn't know that I'd done it, so it was an original idea. Unless you saw it on Jom and Terry. Then you just copied the activities of a cartoon cat and mouse."

I fell silent. This silence lasted for a few minutes, and then Axel broke it.

"Hey Roxas, are we there yet?"

I couldn't help it. I laughed.

--

AN: And that's all for Roxas's past. Axel's last bit won't be for a while. They have to deal with the Sora situation first. So, like? No like? Review!


	16. Sanctuary

Author's Note: This chapter is, uh… Well, some things are accomplished. Just not as many as I would have liked. Eh. That's life, huh? Thanks to RecklessxDreamer and Niffstral for reviewing. Now they get almost instant gratification.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I do own my idea for a new fanfic, though.

Warnings: swearing, boy love.

--

"If the subject fails to respond, use aggression to liberate his true disposition."

Axel's PoV

After five hours of flying, and an additional hour of Customs and trying to get transportation to the motel, we were all ready to turn in for the night. I decided to check my phone first. I've made worse decisions, as it turns out. I had a voice message from Demyx.

"Hey Ax, it's Demyx. I feel like, as your friend, I should tell you when I've done something that might have a major impact on our friendship. So, here goes. Zexy and I are an item! Isn't it great? I expect you to tell me how great it is when you get back, or Mr. Cuddlefish and DiZ might have additional company in their tanks, if you know what I mean. Yeah, I'm taking care of your pets while you're gone. Call me!"

That's Demyx, a tidal wave of words. I wonder if that was the reason that Aimi was so happy this morning. But how would she have known? I found myself in front of the door to the girls' room (we got connected rooms, so I was still technically in the guys' room). Do I dare? Of course I do. I pounded on the door.

"Aimi! You've got some 'splaing to do!"

The door flew open, revealing Aimi in her long, red nightgown. Then she pulled the door mostly shut again, so only her head was visible. Oh yeah. Roxas and Cloud were behind me.

"What do you want?"

"Did you know about Demyx and Zexion?"

"Yup. I was there when it happened."

"And you didn't feel the need to tell your doting older brother?"

"Nope. I knew one of them would tell you."

Sisters. I closed the door, and threw myself on the nearest bed. Oh wait. Sleeping arrangements. There were only two beds, and four gay/bi boys.

"So, who's sleeping where? I guess I'm stuck with Reno again?"

I _hate_ sharing a bed with Reno. There's never enough room. But I don't want Roxas sleeping with Reno, and Cloud would never let me share with Roxas.

"I could… share with Reno."

All heads turned toward Cloud. Oh, I must have been very, very good lately. Reno (the bastard) was skeptical.

"You want Axel and Roxas to share a bed? No one's gonna get any sleep tonight, yo. Roxas, you should know that Axel sleeps naked."

"I do not! I wear boxers, got it memorized?"

Roxas smirked and locked himself in the bathroom. 10 minutes later, I was lying awake in bed, when I felt Roxas get in next to me. My arms automatically went around his chest, pulling him close to my bare one. Roxas leaned into me, his spikes tickling my chin. He'd been strangely quiet since we've gotten off the plane.

"Are you okay, Roxy?"

"As long as you're there."

Cloud's PoV

Morning. Let the record show that Cloud Strife is not a morning person. Especially when Cloud Strife wakes up next to a crazy redhead with a broken arm. Is it any surprise then that Cloud Strife attempted to slit the redhead's throat with a razor when he found himself being spooned by the redhead? No. No it is not a surprise. Ugh. Why did I agree to go on this trip? Oh, right. To find Sora.

With the morning off to that wonderful start, we all split into pairs to look for Sora. Naminé and Kairi went straight to Riku's house to wait. The rest of us were supposed to search the main island. Axel insisted that he'd be fine alone, so Roxas got paired with Reno, and I got paired with Aimi. I have two questions. One, what was Axel thinking? And two, does Mistress fate have a problem with me?

Right from the start, Aimi took off running, and I had no choice but to follow. How did she know where she was going? Or did she?

"Wait, Aimi! Do you even know where we're going?"

"Of course I do! I have a map right here, see?"

"So where are we going?"

We emerged from the forest of buildings, and I saw our destination. The beach. Uh, what? Maybe I should have dressed for the climate.

"Why're we at the beach?"

Aimi shed her outer layer of clothing (I had no warning, or I wouldn't have looked, I swear), revealing a swimsuit. She planned this. Of course she did.

"There's a good chance that Riku will come here."

"Riku? Not Sora?"

"Sora's after Riku. If we hold his object, we hold the power."

"But why would Riku come to the beach?"

She smiled, and ran into the water without answering. She splashed around for a couple of minutes (I stayed on dry land), and then she froze. She waved at someone behind me.

"Hey! Are you Riku?"

I turned around in a hurry. Aimi had called to a muscled, silver-haired boy, wearing a yellow vest and jeans. There aren't many people with silver hair, and that taste in clothing. It had to be Riku.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?"

That's what I'd like to know. She's never seen Riku before, yet she saw him before me. Aimi quickly splashed her way back to land.

"Oh, sorry! I'm Aimi, and I think you've met Cloud before. Cloud has a chocobo who, I'm told, has the same coloring as you. I guessed. And I was right, huh?"

Riku turned to look at me. Recognition dawned in his eyes.

"Cloud? Oh, right. Kairi told me to expect a search party. So, who's the chick?"

"I'm pretty sure that she just told you who she is."

"Her name does not contain the whole of her identity."

Aimi put her hands on her hips.

"Hello? I'm standing right here. I'm a friend of Naminé and Kairi's. Roxas is dating one of my brothers."

"Oh, that's right. I've heard about you."

That sentence rarely ends well. I cut in.

"Have you seen Nami or Kairi? They were going to your house."

Riku shook his head.

"Can't say I have. But I've been out since this morning. I guess I should go back. Since you were looking for me, I suppose you want to come?"

Aimi nodded.

"Since Sora's looking for you, I figure we've got a good chance of finding him if we stay with you."

Riku looked down at the sand.

"Did Sora… really come here looking for me?"

I nodded.

"He did. He's planning on staying too. He transferred schools."

"What, really? He must be serious."

"He is. I'm not sure that taking him away would be a good thing. I didn't come to drag him away. I came to work out a solution between Sora, his parents, and everyone else affected."

Aimi was startled.

"But wait! If Sora's parents end up moving here with him, wouldn't you, Roxas and Naminé move too?"

--

AN: Oh, how I love my cliffies. The next chapter finds Axel in a situation that he'd prefer not to be in. Please review! The story is reaching the climax, and I would hate to think that no one is reading during sure an important part…


	17. Lost?

Author's Note: This chapter wasn't fun to write, nor was it easy. But I'm pleased with the result. Thanks to RecklessxDreamer and Niffstral for reviewing. Oh yeah, so I wrote what I believe is a lime. It's not this chapter. Trust me, you'll know when you see the chapter. The title and quote make it veerrry obvious.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Don't believe me? There's not much I can do for you.

Warnings: language, boy love.

--

"I've finally found you…"

Axel's PoV

Fuck it. I'm lost. I guess that's what happens when you pick a random direction and follow it for what? Four hours? Ugh. Yes, I was lying when I said I'd be fine on my own, but Reno couldn't safely be left alone, and I refuse to spend more time with him than I have to. Don't get me wrong. He's my older brother, and I love him, but they say that separation makes the heart grow fonder. Does repeated close proximity do the opposite? I just hope he doesn't try anything on Roxas. Agh. Can't think about that right now. Now, if I were a short brunet looking for a tall silveret, where would I go?

I hadn't the foggiest idea. I'm lost. Unless Sora's lost too (which would be luck beyond all luck), I won't find him, except by accident. Wait. What was that? Brown spikes! Only Sora has hair like that! I couldn't believe my luck. I ran heedlessly after him. He ducked into an alley. I followed. He wasn't running, but I wasn't getting any closer. I decided to make my presence known.

"Sora!"

He turned. Confusion was evident in his facial expression.

"Axel? Why're you here? Taking another vacation?"

Oblivious, oblivious child. Just because you tell people not to come after you, does not mean that they won't come after you.

"With no income except for what our parents send, how would we afford another vacation?"

Sora scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Oh yeah. Sorry. I forgot. But then, why are you here?"

I sighed. I thought he was supposed to be smart.

"Sora, I'm here to find you. Not just me, either. Your cousins, my siblings, and Kairi are all here, searching for you. And I'm the lucky bastard who found you."

Sora looked shocked. Did he honestly think that no one would try to find him?

"I'm not going back without Riku. And since he can't leave, I won't leave either!"

My phone buzzed in my pocket. A text message from Aimi. Jackpot. I read it, then turned my eyes back on Sora.

"Do you even know where you're going? Riku never gave you his address, did he?"

Sora hung his head.

"No, he didn't. But so what? I can still find him!"

"Sora, I'm not going to force you to do anything, but I think you should come with me. You need to talk to your parents. You didn't give them a chance. Maybe they would have taken you here if you'd asked. If you come with me, you can work this out with all the people who'll be affected."

Sora looked at me like he thought I was suspicious. Come on! I'm not _that_ shady looking.

"Where are you going to take me?"

"Riku's house. The two of you definitely need to talk."

Sora instantly brightened.

"You know where Riku lives?"

"I have his address. Aimi just sent it to me. I'm not exactly sure where we are, but we can get directions, right?"

"You mean you're lost too? Axel! How could you start looking for someone without a map?"

"You're looking for Riku without one."

"…Point taken."

Aimi's PoV

It was five in the afternoon. We'd been at Riku's house for most of the day. Naminé, Kairi and Riku had been catching up for much of that time. Part of me wondered if they remembered why we were there in the first place. Roxas and Reno turned up around two, a few hours after I texted them and Axel our location. We hadn't heard from Axel, and none of us had had any luck finding Sora. Riku had spent the last several minutes explaining the situation to his mom, while his dad made dinner for the crowd that we were.

There was a knock on the door. Then it slid open, revealing Axel and Sora, who promptly collapsed on the floor. Axel checked his phone, before trying and failing to get up.

"Five fucking hours… We sure know how to get lost, huh Sora?"

Sora tried to get up. He collapsed again.

"Need… food…"

Naminé ran forward to hug Sora.

"Sora! How did you find him, Axel?"

Axel smirked. This is _not_ funny, big bro.

"I got myself good and lost. Now, uh, how about something to eat or drink? I haven't had either since breakfast, and it's been even longer for Sora."

Riku appeared from behind his mother.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

Sora, seeing familiar silver hair, tried to get up again.

"Riku! Could you maybe help me up? I don't think I can get up on my own."

Riku tried not to laugh. He really did. The effort was obvious. But when the first words that are spoken to you by your childhood best friend in seven years are "Can you help me up?", after running away from home just to see you, Riku's need to laugh can easily be understood.

"Hey! What's so funny?"

"Your face!"

Their maturity is surely unmatched. Axel was still lying on the ground. Roxas finally took pity on him, and tried to help him up.

"Axel, why are you so damn tall?"

"Genetics, duh."

Roxas was struggling. There was just too much of Axel for Roxas to support. With my help, Sora and Axel both made it into the dining room, and we all sat down to dinner. Sora picked at his food. Roxas was the first to notice.

"Sora, what's wrong?"

"Rox, I want to stay here, in the Destiny Islands. But if my parents decide to come here too, won't that uproot you, Nami and Cloud?"

"Sora, make the decision that makes you happy. Don't worry about us. No matter what, we're staying in Bastion, and we'll figure something out."

"Roxas…"

"Don't worry about us."

Sora didn't. He called his parents after dinner. He convinced them that he wasn't going to leave. His parents applied for job transfers, and said that they would start looking for a house there. At the same time, Roxas called his parents, to make alternate arrangements for himself, Naminé and Cloud. In the end, an arrangement similar to what we have with our parents was decided on. I don't think it was a coincidence. The only problem was finding a new apartment. Roxas kept saying that they'd figure something out.

After all the phone calls were done, the seven of us (Sora would be staying with Riku until his parents arrived) returned, tired but triumphant, to the motel. I threw myself down on my bed. My cell phone started playing a slow guitar melody. Reno.

"What's up, Reno?"

"Cloud and I are going to the airport to arrange tickets for tomorrow."

"So you left Axel and Roxas alone?"

"Eep. Didn't think of that."

"Did you just 'eep'?"

"No…"

"Take your time coming back."

"Definitely, yo."

--

AN: So, the Sora situation is resolved. But there's still a few problems left to work out. Heh. So, what do you think? Tell me by reviewing!


	18. Passion

Author's Note: This chapter is the (main) reason that I rated the story M. Ugh… I hope I don't screw this up too badly. Oh, don't expect too much. It came out a lot shorter than I expected. Thanks to RecklessxDreamer, Niffstral, and AGENT RACH for reviewing. If I have my definition of a lime wrong, please tell me. I got it from Niffstral.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I'm not doing anything to change that.

Warnings: language, boy love, Lime.

--

"Let's have some fun, Roxas."

Axel's PoV

After Reno and Cloud left, I divested myself off my clothing (except for my boxers) and lay down on the bed. So… tired. Roxas was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring blankly ahead.

"Roxas? Let's get some sleep."

Roxas didn't respond, or make any sign that he'd heard.

"Roxas?"

Nothing.

"Roxas, you're kind of freaking me out. Are you okay over there?"

He didn't say anything right away, but I knew he'd respond eventually. I could wait.

"It's been four months since we started going out."

I counted on my fingers. Oh yeah. It has been. Whoops.

"Ohmigosh! I forgot our four month anniversary!"

Roxas's smile was visible, even in the dim light.

"Don't worry about it. I only just remembered."

"Still, I feel bad that I didn't get you something."

"I didn't get you anything either. Still, I feel like we should celebrate somehow."

I raised an eyebrow. Should I take that suggestively?

"What are you suggesting?"

Roxas turned to face me, my trademark smirk on his face. I felt a fluttering in my stomach.

"Lock the doors. Make sure you draw the deadbolts."

He didn't have to tell me twice. I paused in front of the girls' room.

"Rox? Should I advise the girls to put in earplugs?"

"It couldn't hurt."

Yes!! I knocked on the door.

"Are you three awake?"

I heard three grumbling yeses.

"If you packed ear protection, you might want to get it out. Just a tip."

I heard a scrambling sound on the other side of the door, and drew the deadbolt. I practically threw myself at the bed. Roxas looked down at me, an amused glint in his eyes. Placing my hand on the back of his neck, I pulled Roxas's head down until our lips met. His mouth was already open, his tongue seeking mine. How could I deny him?

We parted for air, and my mouth found Roxas's throat. His moan of pleasure sent shivers through my spine. For a moment, I could think again.

"Hey Rox?"

"Nnn?"

"How far were you planning on letting this go?"

He flushed and muttered something inaudible.

"Hmmm?"

I watched his mouth as he responded. He mouthed a single word.

"Oral."

I felt myself smirk.

"Let's have some fun, Rox."

It didn't take long for Roxas's shirt to disappear. I was trying to do the same with his boxers, while kissing him. The second I tried to remove the offending undergarment, Roxas broke away.

"Axel, I was going to-"

"No can do Rox. I forgot an anniversary. Your present to me can be lying back and letting me take your boxers off. And my present to you will be this."

I finally got rid of those damn boxers, and slid my tongue along his hardening erection. Roxas screamed my name louder than I knew his voice could go. I wondered how much louder I could make him…

I slipped my mouth over the tip of his erection, savoring Roxas's moans. Really, with all the sounds he was making, it was almost enough to get me off, though _my_ erection wasn't receiving the same treatment.

I continued my ministrations, with increasing speed and fervor, until…

"Axel!"

Roxas came, filling my mouth. I swallowed, wrapped my exhausted Roxy in a bed sheet, and undid the deadbolts. Now, what else did I have to do before retiring for the night? I glanced down. Oh, right. Well, better check on the girls first.

"Are you three okay in there?"

"Is it over?"

"Yeah Aimi. It's over."

"You can keep going if you want. We won't be sleeping until Nami's done drawing."

Sometimes, she is really creepy. Right, cold shower time. Reno and Cloud better not get back until I'm done.

Roxas's PoV

Morning. Ahh… I stretched. Sunlight streamed into the room. Next to me, Axel was still asleep, his mouth slightly open, and his arms above his head. I smiled, straddled my sleeping boyfriend, and kissed him. He was instantly awake, his arms pulling me closer. When we broke apart, there was mischief in his eyes.

"G' morning Roxy. That was some wake up. You know that you're naked, right?"

What?! Oh yeah… My boxers were on the floor. I hastily snatched them up, and slid them back on. I looked nervously across the room at Reno and Cloud. They were asleep, with a wall of pillows between them. Reno was hugging the wall, while Cloud had his back to it. That's when the alarm went off. Cloud and Reno swore simultaneously.

There was a knock on the door to the girls' room, and Kairi's voice was heard.

"Hey Reno, Cloud. What time is the flight?"

Cloud glanced at the clock.

"Noon. It's eight. We should be ready to leave at nine."

Home. Oh wait. We don't really have one. Well, maybe we will when we get there. Mom and Dad will figure something out, right?

Aimi's PoV

Sora and Riku met us at the airport, to see us off. After everyone said their goodbyes, they went off to pass through security. I stayed behind.

"Sora, I have something that I think you should see."

"Oh?"

I handed him a piece of paper.

"What's this?"

"A conversation between Nami and Riku."

His eyes widened.

"Why would you give me this?"

"I think you should know what you're getting into."

Sora scanned the page. His eyes widened near the bottom, and his face turned red.

"See you later, Sora."

"Y-yeah."

I ran to catch up with the group. Cloud glanced at me, then at Sora, then back at me.

"What did you do?"

"I made Sora fully aware of the situation he's in."

"…You're…"

"A meddling bitch. I know. Feel free to say it. I'm not offended."

I smiled.

"In fact, I rather like the term."

"…Meddling bitch."

"There you go."

I hope I did the right thing…

Sora's PoV

"Hey Ri?"

"What's up Sora?"

"Do you… love me?"

Please say yes…

"Yeah, I do. How'd you know?"

Heh. I'm so glad I came.

"I didn't. I love you too."

--

AN: Me'n fluff, we're close. Good buddies. I like fluff. But what do y'all think of my lime? It was short, I know. But it was hard enough to write that much. Please review. Please. The next chapter is Axel's last flashback. I wrote it outside, in a mild drizzle.


	19. Life in Technicolor

Author's Note: Axel's last flashback! I wrote this chapter outside, in a bit of rain. There are only four raindrops on the page, though. Yes, the end is close. very close. I think I'll be done the day before I have to go back to school. Only to do it all over again, in my new story that I'm working on. I hope it'll get some support when I post it. Though I should warn you, it is not characterXcharacter. Thanks to Niffstral for reviewing. Seriously. I know I had to ask first, but you still did.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. I just play with the characters.

Warnings: language, boy love, blood.

--

"We can't go back."

Axel's PoV

Another five-hour plane ride. Hmm. It wasn't such an exciting prospect this time. Our seating arrangements were the same as last time, though this time, Cloud was glowering, Aimi was grinning, and Kairi, Naminé and Reno were chattering away, which was weird to watch, I have to say. Roxas was staring absently out the window. He looked as bored as I felt. I poked him in the arm, which drew his glazed blue eyes to my green ones.

"Hey Rox. I've got one little piece of my past left. It's about my tatts."

His eyes lost their glazed appearance.

"That sounds good. I've been curious about it for a while now, actually."

"Good. Let's see… It was a few months after Reno got his driver's license."

-

I was a freshman in high school. For Reno's birthday, our parents bought him a car. It had seatbelts and airbags, but it was basically a hunk of junk. We only used it when we had to. It's been fixed up since Reno got it, but that hadn't happened yet.

It was a dark night in February. Reno was driving along, minding his own business. I was shotgun, and Aimi was sitting behind Reno. All I really remember is Reno shouting and turning the wheel. Then there was a bang, and I woke up in an ambulance. Aimi was sitting next to me. Her face was pale, and there was blood on it. I struggled to find words.

"How… bad am I?"

Aimi's mouth was a tight line.

"Your airbag didn't deploy. Your head hit the windshield."

I tried to reach up and touch my head, but leather straps restrained my hands.

"Don't try to touch it. They figured you would try, so they had you restrained."

I nodded, and fell back into darkness. The next time I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. Aimi was reading, and Reno was staring at the ceiling. They both looked unhurt, but there was still blood on Aimi's face, and streaks of dried blood under Reno's eyes.

"There's blood on your faces."

They both turned toward me. Reno grinned.

"You're awake, yo."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. Have you two looked in a mirror since you got here?"

Aimi smiled.

"I guess not."

Aimi pulled a small mirror out of her purse.

"The blood… it looks like two hearts under my eyes."

"Whose blood is it?"

"Yours. Reno and I got bumped around, but only you really bled. Reno must've gotten some on his hands when he was trying to get you out of the car."

So, the hunk of junk car held together. The only problem it had was a faulty airbag. Ya know, I think I have some seriously bad luck.

"Give me a mirror."

Aimi handed hers over silently. There were bandages around my forehead. I hoped that they hadn't cut my hair. Under my eyes were two small trails of blood. Seeing them, I got an idea.

"We shouldn't forget this. In fact, I want to remember this day for a long time."

Reno's eyebrows were raised.

"Okay…?"

"D' ya think, if we asked them, mom and dad would let us get tattoos?"

Aimi was catching on.

"Axel, are you suggesting…?"

"I'm suggesting that we get tattoos in the shape and location of the blood on our faces. So that we can remember this day, and be grateful that it wasn't worse."

Aimi wrinkled her nose.

"Isn't that a little morbid?"

"A little, maybe. But yours look like hearts. You can easily come up with another explanation."

"Reno, what do you think?"

Reno looked like he was actually putting genuine thought into it.

"If mom and dad agree, and since we'd be doing it to remember something that they won't want a repeat of, there's a good chance that they will, I think we should do it. I'll be cool, yo."

Aimi wasn't quite done yet.

"Facial tattoos are supposed to hurt the worst."

I grinned.

"Are you saying that you can't take the pain?"

"No, but-"

"Alright then. We'll send them an explanation and the consent forms."

-

"And that's how it happened."

"Does the airbag work now?"

"Roxas, have you no trust in me? I wouldn't let you sit in a seat with a faulty airbag. The guy who hit us, name of Xigbar, he personally paid to have that fixed. Other than the fact that he put me in the hospital, he was an okay guy."

Roxas looked doubtful. I'm so hurt!

In another hour (man, time flies), the plane landed, and we all went our separate ways. We were expecting our apartment to be either empty, or containing some combination of Demyx and Zexion. We were not expecting the actual occupancy.

Aimi ran inside, eager to play her piano (old piece of crap though it may be), but she was intercepted. She almost ran into the chest of an unknown man. This in itself is weird, since Aimi is almost as tall as I am. It wasn't Demyx or Zexion, that was for sure. The man she had almost taken out was tall, with red hair tied back in a ponytail, and glasses covering his green eyes.

"D-dad?"

He smiled broadly.

"Welcome home, kids."

Roxas's PoV

The apartment was a mess. Everything was in boxes, and presiding over this box forest was Sephiroth. When he saw Cloud, he gave a mighty "wark", and threw himself at his master. Aerith appeared in the kitchen doorway. I bet our aunt and uncle made her help with the packing.

"Cloud, I think Sephiroth tried to kill me."

"He was just playing."

The words were mumbled. I don't think Cloud believed it either. I saw Jack in his kennel, and it looked like he was trying to do complicated dance moves. Aerith must've been watching dance shows.

"Oh! That's right! Your parents called a while ago."

Cloud's eyes narrowed.

"What did they want to tell us?"

Aerith twisted her braid around her finger.

"They want to tell you that they haven't found a place for you three yet, and to ask you to stay with friends until they can."

--

AN: The next chapter is the last, and then we have the epilogue. So. Like always, I ask that you review. It brightens my day. Even one single review does, so do your part.


	20. A Sentimental Man

Author's Note: Truth be told, the content in this chapter was not how I was originally planning to end things. I got the idea when I read some of the reviews for chapter 8. I like this way better. Then after this there's the epilogue. This chapter is really where I show my true colors. Thanks to RecklessxDreamer, Niffstral, and xXxFallenXxXAngelsxXx for reviewing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. My crazy brain is a different matter.

Warnings: language, boy love

--

"We'll go together."

Axel's PoV

Aimi's eyes glistened with unshed tears, and she tried to run into our dad's arms. I grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her away.

"Not so fast Aimi. He hasn't told us why he's here yet."

Dad chuckled. How can he be so damn calm about this?

"Suspicious as ever, Axel. I can't say you're wrong to be suspicious either. It's been four years since I last set foot here. There has to be a reason, right?"

Fucking… Why do he and Aimi have to be so much alike?

"Out with it! Why are you here?"

"Calm down, Axel. I assure you, my intentions are pure."

"And how am I supposed to know that? All through our childhoods, you were quiet. You let Mom handle almost everything. On occasion, you showed us some affection, which is more than Mom did, but mostly, you left us alone. How am I supposed to know that your intentions are pure?"

Dad shook his head, a sad smile on his face.

"You're absolutely right. It was my fondest wish that the three of you would be strong. I thought that leaving you to make your own decisions and mistakes would be good. That's why I didn't fight having to be away all the time. I wanted the three of you to find your strength, and learn to rely on each other. I can't vouch for your mother's intentions, but those at least were mine."

Aimi really was crying now. I had to harden my heart to keep my grip on her.

"So, why did you come back?"

He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. I realized then that Dad was only 40.

"I had a sudden realization. I realized that I didn't want Reno's senior year to go to waste because he didn't have a helping hand. I didn't want you to set yourself on fire, just to see what it would feel like. I don't want Aimi to starve because there was only enough food in the house for you and Reno, so she chose not to eat. In short, I came back because I want the three of you to succeed where your mother and I have failed. You'll be ready when the time comes to leave, as many aren't. You'll have experience. You'll be able to take care of yourselves. But, at least for now, you don't have to be strong anymore. It's okay to be weak. I won't leave again."

Reno's voice was shaky when he spoke.

"What about Mom?"

Dad waved his hand dismissively.

"Your mother and I have different priorities concerning yourselves. She'd rather you make our mistakes, and ruin your lives, for the sake of learning not to. But that's fine. I'm the one that's here."

I released Aimi's collar, and she darted forward, hugging our Dad fiercely and crying all the while.

"I knew it… I always knew you'd come back."

That's what she always told us. Reno was quick to join them. Dad looked at me, his eyes piercing.

"Won't you join us, Axel?"

I shuffled my feet.

"I won't have to register for school alone again?"

He smiled.

"We'll go together."

I was with them before I knew it. I felt tears stream down my cheeks, but I made no effort to wipe them away. Some part of my always hoped that one of them would come back. The fact that they weren't there when I got home was part of why I was so angry with them. Every day, my expectations and hopes were crushed. My anger became my strength, like fire. The fire doesn't have any fuel left.

There was a timid knock on the door, and then it opened. Dad was the only one who could see in that direction.

"Oh? Who's this?"

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting. I can come back later."

Roxas! My precious Roxy!

"Wait, Roxas!"

He stopped, halfway out the door. I must've looked awful. Well, we all probably did. There were tear tracks on all of our faces, and our eyes were red and puffy. I detached myself from the group hug.

"What is it, Rox?"

"Well, when we got back, Aerith told us that our parents couldn't find us a place to live, so we gotta split up and stay with friends until they can."

Dad was standing next to me all of a sudden.

"So Axel, is this your boyfriend? Cute. Roxas, is it? Were you planning on asking Axel if you could stay? How long have the two of you been dating?"

Geez, he's a master conclusion-jumper. I'm gonna have to watch that. Wait! He called Roxas cute! Roxas blushed! Oh no he didn't!

"Four months, and yeah, that's why I came."

"Hmm…"

Dad leaned in close to Roxas and looked him over.

"Denied!"

"W-wha?"

"You have a brother and a sister, right?"

"Y-yes, but-"

"The three of you should stick together. You can stay, provided that your siblings do too."

Seven people and four animals? Where are we gonna put them?

"What?"

"I said that the three of you, and I guess any pets that you may have, can stay here. The girls can share a room, and we'll deal with how to arrange the gentlemen later. Call them. Oh, and I need a phone number for your parents too, since they'll probably want to know why they don't need a place for you three."

"Can we afford-"

Roxas fainted, cutting off my sentence. I was about ready to do the same, but someone had to catch Roxas. Dad nodded.

"We can, but I have to talk to their parents first. That conversation will determine if we really can afford this."

Aimi was already on the phone with Naminé, and after I set Roxas down, I searched his phone for his parents' number. Finding it, I wrote it down and handed it to Dad. I felt numb, but happy. The happiness was the stronger of the two feelings.

Roxas's PoV

The next evening, we were mostly moved in. In the end, my bed got set up in Axel's room. It was the first time I'd been in there. After the bed was set up, I took a minute to look around. I saw Naminé's paintings on the walls and smiled. At that moment, I wasn't worried about the dangers of rooming Aimi and Naminé together, or whether Cloud (or Sephiroth) would kill Reno before the week was out. I just wondered why there were a ton of other fish in Mr. Cuddlefish's tank.

"Courtesy of Demyx."

I turned. Axel was standing behind me, one hand on his hip, eyes looking somewhere else.

"What is?"

"All the other fish. I forgot to call Demyx."

"When was that?"

"He left me a voice message the day we went to the Destiny Islands about him and Zex. He was watching the animals, so when I didn't call him, he acted in accordance with his threat."

Axel crawled into bed, yawning heavily. With one last glance at the crowded fish tank, I started to climb into my bed.

"Uh, Roxas?"

"Hm?"

"Could you…"

"What?"

"Dad likes to keep the apartment cold. I really don't like cold. Would you…"

I rolled my eyes.

"You want me to get in bed with you, right?"

Axel nodded.

"You won't regret it."

"Sure, Axel."

Axel's PoV

11 at night. Roxas and I were huddling together for warmth.

"Holy crap, Axel! It really is cold!"

"Told ya. I'm not _that_ pervy that I would invent an excuse."

--

AN: Ah… Only the epilogue left. For this chapter, I just had to use "We'll go together." That line sets my fan girl soul on fire, in a good way. Unfortunately, I couldn't think of a better way to use it. Ah well. Reviews, as always, make me high on life.


	21. Epilogue: Hand in Hand

Author's Note: The day before I have to go back to school, here is the epilogue. I've had a lot of fun writing this story, as well as it's predecessor, and I'm already working on something new. I hope you'll check it out when I post it. Thanks to all of my reviewers!

Disclaimer: For the last time in this story, I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Warnings: language, boy love.

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"You're home."

Axel's PoV

Two months passed. Eventually, the first day of school came. One year ago today, Roxas and I met. So much changed in that time, yet I barely noticed. We were on the bus, on our way to school. Roxas, Aimi, Naminé and I. Reno's arm was better, but he'd quit work. Dad had encouraged Cloud to do the same, but he adamantly refused, saying that he wanted to pay his own expenses.

Aimi tapped my arm, looking worried.

"Axel?"

"What is it?"

"Do you think Dad can handle this? Taking care of six teenagers on his own?"

"What are you talking about? He's not doing this alone. We're all helping, aren't we? We know how to take care of ourselves."

Aimi smiled.

"You're right. We're all in this together."

"Yeah, we are. Besides, at this point, I think Dad can handle anything."

Roxas (the adorable eavesdropper) smiled too.

"Axel, I just remembered something."

"…What did you remember?"

"Do you know what today is?"

…No.

"Our one year anniversary?"

"We've only been dating for six months. It's that anniversary."

"No, I mean, we met a year ago today."

Roxas nearly jumped out of his seat.

"But that means it's your birthday!"

I forgot my own birthday and our anniversary? Whoa. Aimi laughed. For close to a minute straight. Her face was red when she was done.

"You two are something else. I guess you won't be home for a while after school? What with needing to shop…"

Roxas and I blushed and avoided each other's gaze. We didn't see much of each other at school, and we left the building separately, to do some shopping. As I left, I saw Cloud and Aimi talking in front of the school. Nothing weird about that, right?

Roxas's PoV

I headed home, my messenger bag over one shoulder, and a shopping bag over the other. How could I forget Axel's birthday? Or the first day we met? What's… wrong with me? Axel would say: "There's nothing wrong with you, got it memorized?" Still, I feel bad.

"When you walk away, you don't hear me say-"

Sora was calling. I quickly answered. It's not that safe to talk on the phone while skateboarding, but eh.

"What's up Sora?"

"Happy anniversary!"

Asshole.

"Oh, and tell Axel happy birthday for me!"

Bastard.

"Roxas? Are you there?"

I snapped my phone shut. Fucking Sora. He'd never forget Riku's birthday. At least I remembered our anniversary. At least I planned for that. I sighed and sent Sora a text apologizing. I skated the rest of the way home. It still counts if I got his present before the birthday dinner, right?

Aimi's PoV

I navigated the maze of people, intent on my target. On the way, I passed a glued together Demyx and Zexion, as well as Fuu and Rai, trying to get people to sign a petition to get a retrial for Seifer. They were wasting their time. He took a plea bargain, and Reno didn't press charges on the assault. He'll be out in eight years, at the most. Hopefully I'll be long gone by then.

I spotted my target and increased my pace, ignoring the other people in the hallway. Reaching out, I grabbed hold of a blond spike and tugged. Cloud turned, his eyes watering from the pain.

"What do you want? You'll see me at home."

"Meet me outside in five minutes."

"O-okay?"

I took my leave, and settled down to wait on the stairs leading into the school. I saw a lot of familiar faces pass. Roxas heading one way, while Axel went the other. Kairi and Naminé off to get ice cream. Reno going home. Demyx and Zexion going… somewhere. Hayner, Pence and Olette going their separate ways. Finally, Cloud appeared.

"So, what do you want?"

"I want to talk. Do you know somewhere we could go?"

"Aimi, it's my day off."

"So's tomorrow. And the next day."

"Fine. I know a place."

Cloud threw me the spare helmet and led me to Fenrir. He mounted it and I climbed on behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and we were off.

Axel's PoV

When I got home, Roxas was waiting. The second he saw me, he jumped up and held out two wrapped presents.

"Happy birthday and anniversary, Axel."

I smiled and offered Roxas a present of my own.

"Happy anniversary, Rox."

We stood there awkwardly for a moment before Reno walked by.

"Just kiss and make up already."

We both blushed. Roxas set down the present, wrapped his arms around my neck, and kissed me. This turned into a make-out session, which lasted until Dad got home. Best birthday ever.

"I love you Roxas."

He smiled.

"I love you too, got it memorized?"

Aimi's PoV

Cloud brought me to the park. We settled ourselves onto a nearby bench before Cloud turned to look at me.

"So?"

"Well, I was thinking. We're practically family, and we probably will be family someday."

"It's still not legal for two men to marry, you know."

"Putting that aside, though. I feel like, with that in mind, we should get to know each other."

"What did you have in mind?"

I smiled. Cloud's eyes narrowed. Maybe he knows me too well already.

"We could relate periods of our lives to each other."

"Why would I agree to that?"

"Because you want to know how I became who I am?"

"Definitely not."

"Okay fine. I'm just interested, okay? I want to know how Cloud became Cloud."

Cloud took a moment to think this over.

"Fine. Don't think this means I like you, though."

"I won't."

"It all started six years ago…"

THE END!

AN: Aah… Finally done… Thanks to all of my readers and reviewers, who have made this truly enjoyable. Look forward to my new story, though it might be a bit before I post it. School is evil.


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